Area-wide enzootic pneumonia and pleuropneumonia eradication - a sanitary project in pig production

In 1996, a sanitary programme started in two different topographical region s of the Swiss midlands with a high density of pigs. The objective was the area-wide eradication of enzootic pneumonia (EP) and pleuropneumonia (APP). The two regions contained 50 communities and covered an area of 230 sq km containing 705 farm with a total of approximately 7,600 sows and 34,000 fat teners. The District Chief Veterinarians were responsible for the administr ation of the programme. Assistance with the enforcement of the measured was provided by the Swiss Pig Health Service. In the first stage, methods of d iagnosis and surveillance measures were determined. In the second phase, de tailed information was provided to farmers, veterinarians and dealers. In a third phase, an overall evaluation of the results was performed on the pig farms. Initially the APP status was determined by serological testing and the eradication programme started based on these results. Breeding farms wi th APP were totally slaughtered. This involved only three farms, and on mos t breeding farms eradication was achieved through partial slaughter. All co nventional fattening herds were totally slaughtered. The timing of the sani tary measures was fixed at mid-August. Acceptance of the programme by parti cipants was remarkably high. In both regions, 19 EP and 3 APP cases of rein fection were recorded during a one year period of surveillance, these invol ved 10 breeding farms and 12 fattening farms. The reason for reinfection wa s not found for 4 (3 EP and 1 APP) herds. The majority of the reinfections occurred following the purchase of infected animals from a region outside t he eradication area. The reinfection rate was, however, clearly reduced. A cost-benefit analysis showed that a herd eradication programme has a rapid pay back time.