Health status of free-ranging pure and cross-mixed miniature swine population from Northeast Spain
Soler, Vicente (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari)
Casas Díaz, Encarna (Vets and Wildlife)
Closa Sebastià, Francesc (Vets and Wildlife)
Sanz, Albert (Departament d'Agricultura Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació. Servei de Prevenció en Salut Animal)
Martorell Montserrat, Jaume (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Miniature pigs have gained popularity as companion animals in the recent years in Spain. Due to the fact that their abandonment and crossing breeds with wild boars can cause severe problems, investigation about the health status is needed. The aim of this study was to determine their health status according to the clinical findings during physical examination and the results of antibody serology tests against selected infectious diseases. Two-hundred and eleven miniature pigs (Sus scrofa) were included in the study. Their origin, age, sex, housing conditions and diet were recorded. The housing of the animals ranged from wild animals to ones living in animal sanctuaries. The diet varied from a natural one in the wild to commercial and homemade food. Thirty animals out of two-hundred and eleven were hybrids between miniature pigs and wild boars according to morphological characteristics. Antibody serology techniques of Influenza A virus, Hepatitis E virus, brucellosis, tuberculosis, African swine fever, Classical swine fever and Aujeszky's disease was performed. The prevalence for Influenza A was 5. 30%, for Hepatitis E was 5. 35% and the rest tested negative. It is important to control and monitor these zoonotic infections to prevent Public Health problems. The results obtained from this investigation demonstrated that the animals' health status in this study is optimal and the diseases prevalence is similar or minor when compared to previous studies. This study confirms the hybridization of miniature pig and wild boar in Catalonia. This paper describes a research project about health status of free-ranging pure and cross-mixed miniature swine population from North East Spain based on analysis of diet, environment, clinical findings, physical examination, and antibody serology techniques.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Health status ; Hybrid ; Miniature pig ; Serology ; Spain
Published in:	Veterinary Medicine and Science, Vol. 8 (november 2021) , p. 170-176, ISSN 2053-1095

DOI: 10.1002/vms3.665
PMID: 34791799

7 p, 656.2 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles