Breeding against oedema disease in Switzerland

It’s a matter of genetics: Not all pigs are susceptible to oedema disease. What happens if a breeding programme could make all piglets resistant to oedema disease? A promising initiative in Switzerland embarked on this mission. Oedema disease is a well-known sickness in piglets and finishing pigs. It can occur shortly after weaning. The course of the disease is very fast and some piglets die within hours or days. Oedema disease is caused by Escherichia coli bacteria of fimbriae type F18, in ge