A DNA test could soon be available to identify breeder pigs best equipped to produce offspring with better natural resistance to disease.
“We have found some genetic defects that are associated with impaired resistance to different infections,” says Dr. Tony Hayes, Professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph.
“The genes that we are interested in are innate immune genes that provide resistance to a broad range of different things,” he says. “They help resist disease in animals when they first encounter those infections. If the systems don’t function correctly, the animal may be more susceptible to
various types of infections.”