Infectious reproductive disease in pigs

REPRODUCTIVE disease is a major cause of economic loss in pig industries throughout the world. In the UK, most reproductive disease in pigs has a non‐infectious aetiology and generally relates to managemental, nutritional or environmental factors. However, protracted outbreaks of enzootic and epizootic infectious reproductive disease can cause significant loss. Infectious reproductive disease of pigs in this country is usually due to infection by opportunistic bacteria, viruses and sometimes fungi and protozoa which are often endemic in herds. Occasionally, epizootics of reproductive disease occur due to infection with pathogens such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, porcine parvovirus and leptospires (especially Leptospira interrogans serovar bratislava). This article describes the patterns of infectious reproductive disease in pigs and discusses the influence of a number of important pathogens.