Effect of climatic conditions on enzootic pneumonia of pigs

Enzootic pneumonia of pigs is a common worldwide problem affecting mainly growing pigs. It is caused byMycoplasma suipneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) but the pneumonia is usually complicated byM. hyorhinis and bacteria. The experimental evidence on the effect of temperature, UV light and drying on the survival ofM. suipneumoniae is reviewed and related to the data available onM. pneumoniae M. mycoides subsp.mycoides andM. gallisepticum which cause respiratory disease in man, cattle and chickens respectively. The external and internal climatic conditions which influence the severity of enzootic pneumonia in housed pigs are discussed. Possible further experiments withM. suipneumoniae are discussed in relation to the problem of cultivating one of the most fastidious of all known mycoplasmas.Presented at the Seventh International Biometeorological Congress, 18–25 August 1975, College Park, Maryland, USA.