What do biosecurity assessments and oral fluids reveal on Hong Kong pig farms?
Across 18 Hong Kong pig farms, biosecurity scores were modest and several major swine viruses were detected, but the cross-sectional design does not establish causality.
Across 18 Hong Kong pig farms, biosecurity scores were modest and several major swine viruses were detected, but the cross-sectional design does not establish causality.
Problem: Having biosecurity measures in place does not necessarily mean every important route of viral introduction and spread is adequately controlled.
Methods: All 40 active Hong Kong pig farms were invited, and 18 participated in Biocheck-UGent assessment and oral-fluid testing for major swine viruses.
1. Mean overall biosecurity was 50.1±9.4, with external biosecurity scoring 56.4±8.6 versus 43.9±12.1 internally, while the visitors-and-workers category scored only 23.5.
2. Between-farm prevalences were 94.4% for PRRSV-2, 38.9% for PRRSV-1, 83.3% for PCV2, 55.6% for swine influenza virus, 16.7% for PDCoV, and 5.6% for PEDV, while TGEV was not detected.
3. Because only 18 of 40 farms participated and the study was cross-sectional, it identifies biosecurity gaps and viral detections but cannot show that a particular biosecurity score caused infection.
Original publication
Haile B, Liu C, Carrai M, et al. Characterization of biosecurity practices and viral infections on pig farms in Hong Kong. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2025;242:106569.