Background: The Hungarian national eradication program of PRRS was successfully completed between 2014 and 2022. There were doubts about the efficiency of the eradication program in Hungary from the beginning to the tune that it might only be carried out efficiently through depopulation–repopulation of the infected herds, which is a very costly procedure. In our study, we investigated the impact of the depopulation–repopulation procedure, which played a prominent role in the PRRS eradication program on the productivity of the Hungarian swine sector–namely, on the number of slaughter pigs per sow per year and the total live slaughter weight per sow per year. Material and Methods: Since 2014, we monitored the evolution of the PRRS eradication through the depopulation–repopulation approach on the large-scale breeding herds in Hungary. Most producers replaced their herds with animals that were free of PRRS and other infectious diseases (mycoplasmosis, actinobacillosis, swine dysentery, atrophic rhinitis, etc.). On this basis, we evaluated the change in the number of slaughter pigs per sow per year as a consequence of depopulation–repopulation of the herds being carried out. In the statistical analysis linear regression was used. Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrate that the PRRS eradication program with the herd depopulation–repopulation approach led to a considerable improvement of the productivity of Hungarian pig farming. This result also demonstrates that, independent of the PRRS eradication, it is still necessary to consider investments into the individual production units to increase efficiency, and to carry out herd depopulation–repopulation in cases where the current genetics limits improvements in productivity.

Background: Ileitis is a wasting disease of pigs. Clinical symptoms are diarrhea in growing pigs, wasting and reduced performance. Ileitis is ubiquitous in pig producing countries all around the world. It is estimated that the economic losses caused by the disease are USD 4.65 per fattening pig, and American pig farmers lose USD 56.1 million annually. It has become necessary to develop a slaughterhouse ileitis monitoring method that is simple, feasible to perform at modern slaughter lines, leads to immediate results and is cost effective. The practical experiences of applying the method are presented below. Methods: Our studies were performed on pig herds and slaughterhouses in Central European countries (Hungary, Romania, Poland, Croatia, and Slovakia). Experiences were evaluated based on visual and palpation. The results of our investigations were evaluated by a scoring method. Authors made histological and immunohistochemical examinations of investigated ileums. The hypothetic economic losses due to the disease in each farm were determined by estimating the loss of profit according to Holtkamp’s presentation in 2019. Results: The essentials of the method we have developed are: it can be performed during slaughterhouse processing, it does not interfere with or make it impossible to carry out normal technological processes, and the results of the procedure are correlated with the results of other laboratory diagnostic tests for ileitis (histology, immunohistochemistry, herd serology, fecal PCR). It is noteworthy that the results of the method can be used to immediately estimate the impact of Lawsonia intracellularis infection on the performance of the herd from which the slaughter animals come. Conclusion: Using the results of the slaughtered pigs’ visual and tactile examination at the slaughterhouse, the magnitude of the loss caused by Lawsonia intracellularis infection can be estimated quickly and accurately, and the return on investment of the strategy to be applied can be accurately planned.

This review investigates genetic strategies aimed at improving robustness in pigs to enhance disease resistance and reduce reliance on antibiotics. Robustness refers to a pig’s ability to stay healthy and productive under stressful or challenging conditions. The review outlines current breeding practices focused on key traits such as maternal ability, growth, immune function, and survival, and highlights that these robustness-related traits show measurable heritability, making them suitable for genetic improvement. Special attention is given to resistance against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a major disease in swine. We also evaluate breed-specific differences, environmental influences, and immune response profiles, emphasizing their impact on breeding outcomes. The development of robust pig lines emerges as a sustainable strategy to reduce antibiotic dependence and enhance herd health. A distinctive contribution of this work is the integration of genetic robustness and resilience strategies with antibiotic stewardship objectives. We link genomic selection, advanced phenotyping, and targeted management interventions within a One Health framework to outline actionable, system-level pathways for reducing antimicrobial inputs. To our knowledge, this combined genetic and public health perspective has not been comprehensively addressed previously.

PRRS elimination strategies often rely on depopulation-repopulation. However, this approach is accompanied by a long-term loss of production. With adequate control measures, such as well-designed immunization programs and technological changes along with prevalence-based laboratory testing, the virus-free status of the most vulnerable age groups in swine herds can be achieved. The most common reason for acquiring PRRSV at large farrow-to-finish swine farm units is that the previously settled fattening pigs serve as a source of infection for the newly reared PRRS-free animals. Following such unwanted events, PRRSV may persist in an affected establishment for several years. In this observational study, we selected four farrow-to-finish type swine herds. We implemented different laboratory testing protocols to find the most optimal solution for a successful PRRS elimination program. To aid our objectives, we used a DIVA PCR technique. The PRRS DIVA PCR assay is a fast, reliable method to identify sows shedding farm-specific PRRSV strain(s). As a result of elimination efforts at the sentinel pig herds, we found that reliable detection of wild-type PRRSV shedding among sows requires sampling at least three weaned piglets per litter. The strict adherence to this sampling protocol, the systematic use of laboratory methods that quickly detect the presence of wild virulent virus in the herd during the rearing period and the culling of DIVA PCR positive litters and their sows decreased the presence of the resident virus markedly. These procedures at Hungarian farrow-to-finish type farms successfully inhibited the wild-type PRRSV infection of different age groups. The results of this study demonstrate that applying this methodology together with strict biosecurity measures enabled us to reach PRRS-vaccinated-free status in large, farrow-to-finish herds within two years.

The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) eradication program in Hungary, implemented between 2014 and 2022, utilized complete herd replacement and the introduction of high-performance breeds to enhance production efficiency and environmental sustainability in the swine sector. As a result, the sow population was reduced by 26.2% while maintaining nearly the same number of slaughter pigs. This led to significant reductions in ammonia emissions (−145,857 kg), slurry production (−153,879 m³), nitrogen emissions (−1,409,951 kg), and overall greenhouse gas emissions (91,768,362 kg CO₂eq). Additionally, the feed and water consumption were substantially decreased by 53,237,805 kg and 292,978,094 L, respectively, further lowering the sector’s environmental footprint. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of customized eradication strategies and advanced breeding practices in reducing the environmental impact of animal husbandry. These findings underscore the necessity for ongoing collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable livestock production methods. The Hungarian experience provides valuable insights into how targeted interventions can simultaneously improve production outcomes and reduce the environmental burden in the swine industry.