The survey, conducted by Novartis Animal Health, shows that nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of the 102 specialists surveyed believe that mixed respiratory and enteric infections cause serious or very serious problems for infected herds. More than half, 53 per cent, believe that mixed infections pose a problem for the entire swine industry.

"It is imperative that all vets are aware of the risk of mixed infections in herds, and diagnose and treat as early as possible with appropriate medications that can treat enteric as well as respiratory organisms. These infections can significantly reduce feed conversion as well as average daily gain and, if not addressed correctly, can compromise treatment efficacy and not only prove costly to the producer, but also potentially cost the industry millions," according to Dr Tim Loula, Swine Vet Center, Minnesota.

* "It is imperative that all vets are aware of the risk of mixed infections in herds."

Dr Tim Loula, Swine Vet Center, Minnesota

Further study results also showed that 68 per cent of swine specialists regularly saw these mixed respiratory and enteric infections, and that this problem is growing in scale.

Dr Jill Thomson, Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) Veterinary Services, Edinburgh, UK, said: "While vets are aware of the impact of mixed infections in swine health, there is a need to increase awareness of the scale of the problem to ensure affected swine are treated swiftly and effectively with products that address both enteric and respiratory infections in herds with complex disease problems.

"It is vital to stem this increasing problem and return infected pigs to full health, minimizing the financial impact on the individual producer and the industry as a whole."