Costs of swine diseases to producers in Ohio

Thirteen Ohio swine operations were surveyed monthly for economic and epidemiologic information during a 12-month period as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System. The total reported costs of specific diseases averaged $18.98 per pig-year, with pneumonia accounting for 28%, followed by stillbirths 11%, overlaying 8%, scours 8%, starvation 6%, death 3%, cold exposure 3%, and mastitis 2%. Of the total reported costs, $13.32 per pig-year were costs associated with disease occurrence: deaths, culling, and stillbirths (78%), body weight loss (13%), drugs, biologicals, and veterinary services (5%), and producer labor and carcass disposal (4%). Of the $5.66 per pig-year spent on disease prevention, 90% was for drugs and biologicals, followed by producer labor (9.5%) and veterinary services (<1%). Pneumonia had the highest annual estimated prevalence (35 cases per 100 pig-years) followed by scours (18 cases per 100 pig-years), stillbirths (16 cases per 100 pig-years), and overlaying (10 cases per 100 pig-years). When preventive expenditures not attributed to a specific disease were included, the total health-related cost was $20.22 per pig-year.