July 4, 2021 7:00 am
While the standard of external biosecurity is very high on Irish pig farms, internal biosecurity i.e. the ability to break the circulation of pathogens that are already present on the unit, usually requires improvement.
This is according to Dr. Allison Kirwan, a veterinary practitioner with Highfield Veterinary Group, who specialises in pig health.
Better internal biosecurity on pig farms
Animal Health Ireland (AHI)-funded biosecurity assessments, carried out by specially trained vets, have helped verify that high external biosecurity standards are usually present on Irish pig farms.
However, internal biosecurity measures, especially on those pig farms that use in-feed medication, need to be more closely analysed with “all potential shortcomings identified and addressed as practically as possible”.