Hayley Pearson

Project: Understanding and mitigating domestic pig and wildlife interactions

Funded by Australian Pork Limited (APL), this project aims to provide detailed information on the risks to the pig industry posed by wildlife. This will be achieved through assessing the level of interactions occurring between domestic pigs and a number of invasive species (including the European starling, feral pigs, rodents and feral cats), as well as obtaining samples from captured wildlife to analyse for specific diseases of concern to the pork industry. Some of the diseases to be monitored, including Salmonella and Campylobacter, are a human health risk, either directly from the animal or through infected pork consumption. Findings will provide an assessment of risk for each wild animal species targeted to determine the hazard posed to the commercial pig industry based on disease status and movement data. The project will result in refined strategies for control and eradication of diseases on pig farms and likely the addition of strategic pest control to currently accepted farm protocols.

Key achievements:

• Large scale postal survey of APL members to assess key wildlife species and diseases of concern completed. The survey results have since been prepared for publication.
• European starling disease surveys – Salmonella, E. Coli, Camplobacter, Avian Influenza, West Nile Virus and Newcastle Disease Virus – completed in key South Australian piggeries.
• Disease surveys in rodents inhabiting Victorian and South Australian piggeries currently underway.