Zoonoses associated with pigs

Peter R. Davies, University of Minnesota, USA

Chapter synopsis: Zoonoses are defined as diseases and infections that are transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans. Major food animal species occupy a special position within the framework of zoonotic disease. This is particularly the case in developed societies, where direct livestock contact has become relatively rare, and where for much of the population the food supply has become the predominant route of exposure to livestock associated pathogens. This chapter provides a broad overview of the zoonotic hazards associated with pigs. Emphasis is given to the agents and pathways which most contribute to zoonotic risk, and to how these risks may be modulated by changing conditions at the human-swine interface.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2017.0030.01