Signs & Symptoms of the Flu in Pigs

Pigs contract the flu just as humans do, and while the illness will usually clear up on its own, it can sometimes be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that swine flu is present year round, with most outbreaks occurring in the fall and winter months. The swine flu virus was first discovered in a pig in 1930.

  1. First Signs of Flu in Pigs

    • The incubation period of the flu in pigs is very short--from 12 to 48 hours--and the onset is usually very quick and dramatic. According to the Irvine Mesa Charros 4-H Club, the first signs of illness in a pig are poor appetite, gauntness, rough hair, dull eyes, excessive coughing, diarrhea, inactivity and lameness.

    Symptoms in Piglets

    • A piglet is an unweaned pig. Symptoms of the flu in piglets include coughing, pneumonia and fever. It is unusual for a piglet to catch the flu unless the strain has come into a farm for the first time. Colostrum, which is found in breast milk, will usually prevent a piglet from catching the flu. Colostrum is a form of milk produced by the mammary glands in late pregnancy and the days immediately following birth.

    Symptoms in Sows

    • A sow, or female pig, will exhibit coughing, fever, pneumonia and spontaneous abortion when infected with the flu. In a herd of sows, the following can be seen in a flu outbreak: sudden and rapid coughing and pneumonia, a return to normal after seven to 10 days, increased late-term abortions and increased stillbirths.

    Symptoms in Weaners

    • A weaner pig is in its growing stage. Symptoms of the flu in weaners include the pig becoming prostrate, heavy breathing and severe coughing. Many times the pig will look as if it's going to die, but most weaners will survive without treatment unless there is a preexisting respiratory problem.

    Causes of Flu in Pigs

    • Pigs can catch the flu from people, birds, other pigs, carrier pigs, bacterial infections, fluctuating temperatures, stress, wet bedding and poor nutrition. It is essential that pig owners take proper measures to ensure their animals' health. The Irvine Mesa Charros 4-H Club states that if you think a pig is sick, you should take its rectal temperature. If the pig's temperature is 2 degrees or more above normal, call a veterinarian immediately.