Browsing by Author "Magnusson, Ulf"

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    Animal health beyond the single disease approach – A role for veterinary herd health management in low-income countries?
    (Research in Veterinary Science, 2021) Gertzell, Elin; Magnusson, Ulf; Ikwap, Kokas; Dione, Michel; Lindstrom, Lisa; Eliasson-Selling, Lena; Jacobson, Magdalena
    In order to identify and evaluate health related constraints faced by Ugandan pig farmers, a veterinary herd health management approach (VHHM) was applied in 20 randomly selected pig farms in the Lira district, Uganda. Regular herd visits were conducted between July 2018 and June 2019, using e.g. interviews, observations, clinical examinations and laboratory analyzes to gather qualitative and quantitative data on relevant aspects of the production. The pig farmers kept on average 18.6 pigs, including 2.6 sows/year. The production figures varied considerably but were generally poor. The sows produced 1.6 litters/year and 8.2 piglets born alive per litter, the average daily gain was 101 g/day, and the mortality in growers was 9.7%. Four major constraints were identified; poor nutrition, infectious diseases, inferior biosecurity, and poor reproductive management. The quantity and quality of feed was suboptimal. Endo- and ectoparasites were very common, causing diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia, skin lesions and pruritus. Post-weaning diarrhea associated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli was important in the two largest herds, and parvoviral antibodies were found in seven herds, two experiencing problems with mummified fetuses. Biosecurity practices were insufficient and inconsistent, with free-ranging pigs and the use of village boars being the major risks. Reproductive figures were affected by poor estrus detection and service management. Overall, farmers lacked important knowledge on good management practices. In conclusion, the VHHM identified several important constraints that should be addressed in order to increase the productivity of Ugandan pig herds.
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    Strengthening capacity of Ugandan veterinarians: Report from a training for “Pig Herd Health Champions” at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2-13 March 2020
    (International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), 2020) Dione, Michel; Magnusson, Ulf; Jacobson, Magdalena; Lutakome, Pius
    In the past, the pig health research agenda of the smallholder pig value chain in Uganda has focused on single infectious diseases, which have been looked at separately. This has generated a lot of useful information that helped characterize the pig health status (Dione et al., 2014; Ouma et al., 2015; Dione et al., 2016; Roesel et al., 2017; Dione et al., 2018). However, the link of health issues to the wider herd” ecosystem” has been missing. For example, the importance of feeding strategies, co-infection, and reproductive management is not fully acknowledged. Herd Health Management (HHM) is a method to optimize health, welfare, and production in a herd. Pigs are within a delicate “ecosystem” which needs to be analyzed when managing a herd. In the HHM, one doesn’t focus on a single infectious disease, but rather on general farm conditions such as feed strategies, biosecurity, general health, reproductive management, husbandry, and management skills. The whole need to ensure sustainable production to maximize profit (Figure 1). However, some externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and animal welfare need to be addressed to ensure that the production system remains sustainable and resource-efficient into the future.