Significant Diseases Charter

The Significant Diseases Charter has an important role in sharing information quickly in the event of a pig disease outbreak.

An extension of the original Swine Dysentery Charter, it aims to control disease quickly and effectively. It currently covers the sharing of information for both swine dysentery and PEDv outbreaks and may be extended to cover other diseases in the future.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) is a viral disease, while swine dysentery is a bacterial disease.

Both cause damage to the enteric system of pigs, resulting in severe diarrhoea, weight loss and piglet mortality.

We have a wide range of information about how to control both diseases on our website, which you can access via the links below.

If you suspect your pigs have either PEDv or swine dysentery, you should contact your vet immediately.

As PEDv is a notifiable disease, there is a requirement to report this to the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA). Samples will be sent to APHA by your vet and analysed using an approved laboratory test.

PEDv is confirmed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. If a PEDv test result is reported as positive, APHA will notify both your vet and AHDB.

For swine dysentery, samples will also be sent to APHA by your vet. Swine dysentery is confirmed through bacterial culture or PCR.

It is not a notifiable disease, therefore APHA will only notify your vet of the test results. As a charter member, you or your vet should then report this to AHDB.

The disease confirmation in both of these instances can then be shared by AHDB, using the charter.

No. When reporting an outbreak, the Significant Diseases Charter identifies the following:

• Outcode of your postcode (please note this will only be sent to charter members)
• Region
• The disease itself and when confirmed

Your personal details will not be shared with charter members or external bodies.

Remember, the charter is here to help prevent the spread of disease and to protect the industry.

Please sign up to the charter through the producer or corporate section of your Pig Hub account. Previous members of the Swine Dysentery Charter will need to sign up again, as the Significant Diseases Charter replaces this.

If you have any queries or need more information, email Pig.Health@ahdb.org.uk or get in touch with Lauren Turner.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the Significant Diseases Charter below.