Background: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an infectious disease with widespread distribution and is currently a major cause of economic loss in pig production. In Hungary, a National PRRS Eradication Program was introduced in order to reach a more efficient, economic and competitive international market position. The EU also approved the program, but the resultant legal obligations placed a burden on Hungarian producers in order to comply with EU competition rules. The veterinary authorities carried out the implementation of the program with the consent, continuous support and monitoring by the organizations of the pig industry as well as a scientific committee. The PRRS eradication program in Hungary was based on a regional territorial principle and was obligatory for every swine farm within those regions. In Hungary large fattening farms operate as all-in/all-out or continuous flow system. The large-scale breeding herds are predominantly farrow-to-finish types. Although its significance has decreased in recent decades, 20% of the Hungarian pig population is still kept in small-scale (backyard) farms (< 100 animals). Each PRRS-infected large-scale farm had to develop a unit-adapted eradication plan, including external and internal biosecurity measures, vaccinations, etc. It was crucial to render each fattening unit free of the disease since fattening units play a significant role in spreading the virus across the country. Eradication efforts mainly implemented depopulation-repopulation methods, with some farms using the test and removal method instead. Results: As the eradication progressed over the years, the introduction of infected fattening pigs was restricted. Because of these measures, by the end of 2018, Hungarian large-scale fattening farms became free of PRRS. The PRRS-free status of the small-scale herds was achieved by the end of 2015, and this status was maintained from 2016–2021. By the 31st of December in 2021, all breeding pigs at large scale-farms in Hungary had become free of wild type PRRS virus. By the 31st of March in 2022, the total pig population of the country, including all backyard farms and fattening units, had achieved PRRS-free status. Conclusions: The future goal is to secure and maintain the PRRS free status of Hungary by strict import regulations of live animals combined with continuous and thorough screening of incoming and resident herds for the presence of the virus.

Background: Ileitis is a wasting disease of pigs. Clinical symptoms are diarrhea in growing pigs, wasting and reduced performance. Ileitis is ubiquitous in pig producing countries all around the world. It is estimated that the economic losses caused by the disease are USD 4.65 per fattening pig, and American pig farmers lose USD 56.1 million annually. It has become necessary to develop a slaughterhouse ileitis monitoring method that is simple, feasible to perform at modern slaughter lines, leads to immediate results and is cost effective. The practical experiences of applying the method are presented below. Methods: Our studies were performed on pig herds and slaughterhouses in Central European countries (Hungary, Romania, Poland, Croatia, and Slovakia). Experiences were evaluated based on visual and palpation. The results of our investigations were evaluated by a scoring method. Authors made histological and immunohistochemical examinations of investigated ileums. The hypothetic economic losses due to the disease in each farm were determined by estimating the loss of profit according to Holtkamp’s presentation in 2019. Results: The essentials of the method we have developed are: it can be performed during slaughterhouse processing, it does not interfere with or make it impossible to carry out normal technological processes, and the results of the procedure are correlated with the results of other laboratory diagnostic tests for ileitis (histology, immunohistochemistry, herd serology, fecal PCR). It is noteworthy that the results of the method can be used to immediately estimate the impact of Lawsonia intracellularis infection on the performance of the herd from which the slaughter animals come. Conclusion: Using the results of the slaughtered pigs’ visual and tactile examination at the slaughterhouse, the magnitude of the loss caused by Lawsonia intracellularis infection can be estimated quickly and accurately, and the return on investment of the strategy to be applied can be accurately planned.