Early Cross Fostering Reduces Potential for Greasy Pig Disease

The Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network is advising pork producers that early cross fostering of newborn piglets can help reduce their potential exposure to the bacteria responsible for Greasy Pig Disease. Greasy Pig Disease, a bacterial infection that affects the skin of the pig, is one of the infections identified as part of the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network's swine disease surveillance report for the first quarter of  2021.

The primary cause of the disease is Staphylococcus hyicus, which is known to colonize the skin of pigs without causing infection. CWSHIN Manager Dr. Jette Christensen says the infection came up during the quarterly conference call with veterinarians.

Clip-Dr. Jette Christensen-Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network:

A few practices reported or could mention that they seem to see an uptick in Greasy Pig, so Staphylococcus hyicus infection. It wasn't noticeable in any data or anything. It was just a discussion point but it was noticeable that a few practices had seen the same thing.

It was also mentioned that maybe we should think about that teeth clipping is not done in about 70 percent of the sow herds anymore. So, when the competition for teats in the early ages starts and  there's fighting over that, there might be a few more facial lesions on the piglets and they can in turn become infected with Staphylococcus and then they show up as greasy pigs.

The take home message here is really that, if you do cross fostering, make sure you do it as early as possible to limit the competition and fighting in the litters.