Nineteen South Africans attended the combined 2024 International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) Congress and European Symposium of Porcine Health Management during the first week of June. This popular biannual congress was also held in Durban, South Africa in 2008 and is set to occur in Vietnam in 2026. Although it is veterinarian-orientated, disciplines from all aspects of pig production are addressed.
The congress relies on sponsorships and, without fail, all the multinational animal health companies display their products and wares with great fanfare. There are four concurrent sessions, usually starting with a keynote address which is then followed by different speakers. The topics covered included virology and viral diseases, Immunology, bacteriology and bacterial diseases, herd health matters, global trends in pig nutrition, precision farming, welfare and ethology, and then some very interesting sessions on human resource management and the management of crises and disasters.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and the effect of this disease on reproduction and production dominated the program. South African producers are blessed being free of PRRS. African swine fever (ASF) and its devastation and the rapid spread of the disease to all corners of the globe was also discussed. There were quite a number of lectures on laboratory techniques and laboratory procedures, concentrating on isolating and identifying organisms was dominant. In addition, so-called ‘old’ bacterial diseases are being reinvestigated and the importance of high health herds and good replacement gilts were accentuated.
Two speakers from South Africa shared their expertise: Dr Annie Labuscagne reported on an outbreak of Pasteurella multocida in a commercial herd, and Dr Thea Mostert was one of many speakers reminding us of the importance of biosecurity.
It is difficult to choose a best lecture but I thoroughly enjoyed the lectures on population-based monitoring and surveillance systems, milestones in gilt development, and the future of hyper-prolific sows accentuating climate and economic perspectives.
My key take-home messages from IPVS 2024 are:
- South Africa is blessed not having to struggle with PRRS.
- Biosecurity should be dominant in the daily tasks of every producer.
- The volatility of pork production in all corners of the globe is clear.
- Pork producers will have to concentrate on producing quality meat to ensure acceptance by an increasingly discerning consumer.
