Swine respiratory disease treatment consists of antiviral drugs. Antivirals can help reduce the severity of symptoms and the risk of complications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has approved Baloxavir (Xofluza), Peramivir (Rapivab), Zanamivir (Relenza), and Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for the treatment of swine flu. Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by the type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine respiratory disease is a leading cause of nursery pigs, grower, and finisher deaths in the U.S.
Swine respiratory disease can be caused by multiple infectious agents. It can cause varying severity and duration of disease. Swine respiratory disease affects the respiratory tract of swine, and there are many viruses, pathogens, and causative agents that may cause respiratory disease in swine/pigs. Primary pathogens may include Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, and Bordetella bronchiseptica, as well as viral agents, such as swine influenza virus (SIV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus.
Thus, there is an increasing demand for swine respiratory disease treatment worldwide. For example, in February 2021, The FDA approved the first two generic tulathromycin injectable products for the treatment and control of certain diseases in both cattle and swine. Both generic products, Increxxa and Macrosyn, are approved for the treatment of swine respiratory disease (SRD) associated with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Pasteurella multocida, and in pigs.
Preventative vaccines and medicated feeds can also be used to prevent respiratory diseases. The respiratory disease usually affects growing pigs. Clinical signs of respiratory disease are a little different from respiratory disease in other species. Acute swine influenza is characterized by an acute onset of respiratory disease with high morbidity and low mortality. Various diseases that come under swine respiratory disease are porcine circovirus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, pleuropneumonia, classical swine fever atrophic rhinitis, mycoplasma pneumonia, and swine influenza.
These infectious agents together increase the severity of the disease, and as a result, there is an increase in demand for safe and effective swine respiratory disease treatment worldwide.