Monitoring of Ascaris suum in slaughter pigs during 2000–2009 in Slovakia

Ascaris suum is a parasitic nematode of pigs with worldwide distribution causing economic loses due do health interactions, reduced feed to gain efficiency and loses due to liver condemnation at abattoirs. To survey the herd prevalence of ascariosis in Slovakia, the presence of milk spots in liver of slaughtered pigs is monitored at abattoirs. According to shortened life-span of fattening pigs, this is the most suitable screening method for efficiency evaluation of control measures. Within the monitoring in 2000–2009, in total 279 herds (19 017 animals) were examined. During this period, marked decrease in occurrence of pathological lesions, resp. milk spots, in liver was recorded (from 39.51 % to 6.85 %) in investigated herds.