Guide for nonswine practitioners to enhance swine disease diagnoses.

Abstract

While the vast majority of the US swine population is concentrated in 5 states (Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Illinois, and Indiana), the rest is spread out across the US including pork production, hobby farms, pet pigs, and research facilities. The number of novel diseases and laboratory tests that have been established in recent years can be intimidating or overwhelming for practitioners who do not routinely work with this species. This review aims to help clinicians across the country that may not have an in-depth experience in swine medicine become more familiar with both common and novel pathogens, formulate a differential diagnosis based on the age of the animals and affected system (eg, respiratory, systemic, nervous, and enteric), select proper samples and laboratory testing, and interpret laboratory data to achieve a disease diagnosis in porcine patients.