Farmers have been urged to follow heightened levels of biosecurity after a new outbreak of swine dysentery was confirmed in Suffolk.
The disease outbreak was confirmed on a wean-to-finish unit in the county.
At no point was swine dysentery suspected, including in previous vet visits, due to the absence of any supporting clinical signs, AHDB's disease notification said.
It added that it is therefore difficult to confirm how long the pathogen may have been present.
Pigs on the unit are currently healthy with no clinical signs, with strict biosecurity measures currently in place. A full cull and clean down is planned.
Swine dysentery is a severe, infectious disease characterised by diarrhoea and is marked by weight loss which severely limits productivity.
In the UK, the industry has worked together to mitigate the impact of the disease with an emphasis on early control and prevention of spread.
In the notification, AHDB said: “It is important that a heightened level of biosecurity and monitoring for clinical signs are observed over the next few weeks, especially within the Suffolk region.”
AHDB's advice to pig producers
• Ask where any visitors to your pig unit have been previously and, if in doubt, don’t let them on – it’s simply not worth the risk
• All units should avoid unnecessary visitors and vehicles
• Ask regular suppliers to take extra biosecurity measures
• Consider your actions and their potential effect on others in the region
• Make sure all farm equipment stays on farm, including overalls and boots
• Vehicles need to be properly cleaned, including paying special attention to wheel arches
• Respect each other’s requests for downtime/a pig-free period
