QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY OF PROLIFERATIVE ENTEROPATHY ON BRITISH PIG FARMS

Risk factors for proliferative enteropathy were investigated by means of a postal questionnaire survey of randomly selected British pig farm s. Replies were received from 319 (56 per cent) of the 569 questionnai res posted, representing 1.5 per cent of the total number of pig farms in Britain. Thirty-one per cent of the farms had experienced at least one episode of proliferative enteropathy within the previous three ye ars, usually confirmed by their veterinary surgeon. There was a strong association for the occurrence of proliferative enteropathy in herds of over 500 sows (P<0.005) and in herds with enzootic pneumonia (P<0.0 1). Outbreaks had occurred in five of the six nucleus herds surveyed, the other had only SO sows. Outbreaks occurred in 32 of 69 herds that had obtained their replacement boars from nucleus herds (P<0.05), sugg esting that infected boars may carry the disease into distant herds. T he use of either fully slatted (P<0.05) or fully meshed floors (P<0.01 ) above sunken pits in buildings used to house pigs immediately after weaning, and the use of partially (P<0.05) or fully slatted floors (P< 0.05) in buildings used to house pigs two to six months old, were risk factors for outbreaks of proliferative enteropathy, compared with the use of straw bedding or solid floors. The destocking of entire buildi ngs containing pigs two to four months old before the introduction of fresh pigs, was associated with a reduced risk (P<0.05), but the desto cking of selected pens rather than the whole building had mo such asso ciation. The type of diet, or feeding or watering system and the types of buildings used were not identified as risk factors.