Pig diseases can be monitored via oral fluids on cotton rope

• Giving pigs cotton ropes to chew on could be a more cost-effective and stress-free way for pig producers to monitor their herds for diseases like porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus, according to a three-year research project.
  By taking oral fluid samples from the rope, pig producers and veterinarians can assess the health status of their animal in a non-invasive way, Lorna Dawson, a PhD. student involved in a research project sponsored by the British Pig Executive (BPEX).
  “By collecting oral fluid samples I could screen more animals than was physically possible when carrying out blood sampling,” Dawson told Farmers Weekly.
  Sample collection was performed by suspending a cotton rope over a pen for the pigs to chew, using methods that were initially established at Iowa State University.
  Deposited oral fluid samples were then checked for specific disease markers such as viral RNA and antibodies, allowing the early diagnosis of specific diseases at the subclinical or clinical stage.
  “This suggests that the use of oral fluid is potentially a feasible, low cost, non-invasive way to assess the disease status in pig populations,” said Dawson.
  Dawson added that this non-invasive way of testing is better from an animal welfare perspective.