Prevalence of porcine respiratory pathogens in slaughterhouses in Shanxi Province, China

Background Porcine respiratory diseases remain the biggest challenge in pig‐based food production and are a public health concern. Despite control measures, persistent outbreaks have been reported worldwide. Objective To establish an early detection mechanism for pig farm disease outbreaks based on slaughterhouse risk and environmental assessment. Methods We investigated the prevalence and risk factors of porcine respiratory disease‐causing pathogens including Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Haemophilus parasuis (HPS). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to analyse the lungs of 491 pigs from 19 slaughterhouses across 11 cities in Shanxi Province, China. Results PCR detected MHP, PCV2, PPRSV and HPS in 76.99%, 67.00%, 11.82% and 19.55% of the samples, respectively; 10.12% were negative for all four pathogens. Co‐positivity rates for two and three pathogens were identified. The results confirmed significant correlations between PCV2 and MHP (p = .001, p