Healthy pigs grow fast and sell well, so keeping disease out of your piggery is worth more than any medicine. The good news is that most common pig problems in Nigeria can be prevented with simple hygiene, good housing and a few routine habits. Here are the diseases to watch for and how to handle them.

African Swine Fever (ASF)

African Swine Fever is a highly contagious viral disease that kills most pigs it infects — sometimes nearly the whole herd within a short time. Signs include a high fever, loss of appetite, weakness, red or purple blotches on the skin, and sometimes bleeding or sudden death. There is no treatment and no vaccine for ASF. If you suspect it, isolate your farm immediately and report it to your vet or local veterinary authority. Prevention is everything: keep strict biosecurity (do not let visitors into the pens), never feed raw swill, control people, vehicles and animals coming onto the farm, and buy pigs only from healthy, trusted sources.

Piglet diarrhoea (scours)

Diarrhoea is one of the biggest killers of young piglets. It is usually caused by poor hygiene, weaning stress, or bugs such as E. coli and coccidia. Signs include watery or liquid dung, a dirty rear end, dehydration and weakness. Keep the farrowing area clean, dry and warm, make sure piglets have clean water, and act quickly on dehydration by getting fluids into the piglet early. Ask your vet for the right treatment for the cause. Improving hygiene and avoiding sudden weaning are the best prevention.

Mange

Mange is caused by tiny mites that burrow into a pig's skin. Affected pigs itch intensely, rub themselves against walls and posts, and develop crusty, scaly patches and hair loss. It spreads by direct contact between pigs, so it can move quickly through a herd. Treat affected pigs and their pen — a vet can recommend the right medicine, which is often given as an injection or a pour-on treatment. Treat all the pigs that have been in contact, not just the ones showing signs, and keep the pens clean.

Worms

Roundworms and other internal worms steal nutrients from your pigs and slow their growth. Signs include poor growth even when the pig eats well, a rough coat, a pot belly in piglets, and sometimes worms visible in the dung. The answer is routine deworming — every few months, or as often as your vet advises — together with clean pens, because many worms are picked up from dirty, contaminated ground.

Swine erysipelas

Swine erysipelas is a bacterial disease that can cause fever, red diamond-shaped patches on the skin, lameness or swollen joints, and sometimes sudden death. In sows it can also cause abortion. The best defence is vaccination on schedule — ask your vet which vaccines your herd needs and when. Early treatment by a vet works well. Take care when handling infected pigs: the bacteria can infect people through cuts, so wear gloves and wash your hands well.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that causes blisters and sores on the mouth, snout and feet. Affected pigs go lame, drool and stop eating. There is no treatment for the virus itself, so any suspected outbreak should be reported to the authorities. Prevent it by controlling the movement of pigs and keeping infected animals well away from your herd.

Caring for a sow and her piglets

A healthy sow raises healthy piglets. Clean and dry the farrowing area before she gives birth, keep it warm, and make sure each piglet gets its mother's first milk (colostrum) within the first hours of life — that first milk is packed with protection against disease. Watch closely for scours in the first days, and keep a record of vaccinations and deworming so nothing is missed.

Keep disease out: biosecurity, vaccination and quarantine

  • Biosecurity — limit visitors, wash boots and disinfect equipment, keep wild animals, stray pigs and rodents out, and buy stock only from trusted farms.
  • Vaccination — vaccinate against erysipelas (and any other diseases your vet recommends) on schedule, and keep records.
  • Quarantine — keep every new pig separate for a few weeks before it joins your herd, and isolate any sick pig immediately.
  • Routine care — deworm every few months, clean pens regularly, remove manure, and always provide clean water and good feed.

Key takeaways

  • African Swine Fever has no treatment — biosecurity and no raw swill are your only defence.
  • Piglet diarrhoea and mange are common but mostly preventable with clean, dry housing.
  • Deworm regularly and vaccinate against erysipelas on schedule.
  • Quarantine new and sick pigs, and report suspicious diseases to a vet or the authorities.