Thompson’s tip: Transport hygiene vital

The role of transport in the potential spread of diseases such as swine dysentery, and PED in the United States, emphasises the need to pay very close attention to vehicle hygiene, advises ACMC veterinary consultant, Paul Thompson.

While outside hauliers are partly beyond a pig unit’s control there should be at least a visual check that these have arrived clean before starting to load. Biosecurity is also vulnerable when the unit’s own transport is used to move pigs to grow-out sites if vehicles are not properly cleaned and disinfected before returning to breeding unit.

The importance of using a detergent in the washing process is well documented and for units using this method of moving pigs a designated washing site as well away from the breeding unit as possible is recommended.