Reducing the risk of JEV in pigs

If you work with or have contact with pigs, including small herds or pets, you should take steps to control mosquitoes on your property and continue to use effective biosecurity measures.

You should have an effective mosquito management program in place that targets all stages of the mosquito life cycle using a combination of non-chemical and chemical methods.

This requires a combination of:

• environmental management to reduce mosquito breeding and resting sites
• treating the larvae (larviciding)
• treating the adults (adulticiding)
• ongoing monitoring and surveillance
• record keeping.

To reduce the risk of infection in your pigs:

• treat or remove potential mosquito breeding sites
  • spray or fog the outside of sheds regularly with a handheld or commercial spray unit with approved insecticide
  • disperse approved mosquito larvicides over water bodies close to sheds, that cannot be drained
• remove water lying around sheds and roads
• remove weeds and mow long grass
• monitor mosquito numbers daily. Inspect water bodies and water-filled containers for wrigglers and check facilities for resting adult mosquitoes (e.g. ceilings, walls). If mosquitoes remain abundant, consider additional mosquito control
• speak with your local council about their mosquito management timetable in your area. This can assist with your mosquito management planning for your property.

Seek professional advice about using chemicals to control mosquitoes. Chemicals for mosquito control should only be used by people authorised in accordance with Queensland training and licensing requirements.

Only use chemicals that are registered for use on pigs, pig feed, or surfaces pigs may contact. Ensure you use chemicals in a way that they do not drift onto pigs.

Read about mosquito control around piggeries.

Pig producers should also continue to use effective biosecurity measures in the National farm biosecurity manual for pork production (PDF, 3.1MB).

If you own or keep a pig in Queensland you must be registered as a biosecurity entity. Registration allows you to be kept informed in the event of a biosecurity emergency.