Prevention of Disease Transmission by the Use of Semen in the Porcine AI Industry

Abstract

For more than 40 years the artificial insemination(AI) in pigs has been used on piglet producing farms. It has become predominant over natural service only in the last 20 years. Boar ejaculates can be extended on average 20 times or more. One boar can produce more than 2000 doses of semen annually. AI studs with more than 300 boars are therefore required to fulfill all regulations to prevent the spreading of diseases. Regulations of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), a directive of the European Union (EU), are enforced to establish a common standard in semen production all over Europe. In addition, certain disease prevention programmes exist, e.g. against the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) or Parvo virosis. The methods of preventing the spread of diseases by AI centres are documented and valued. Both the animal hygiene and the personal hygiene of people working with the boars are required. To a large extent the success of a prevention programme is due to the regional situation of the diseases. Only when semen producing organisations value disease prevention methods highly in their work can infection of boars and semen doses be prevented.