Comprehensive review of the epidemiological, production, and health impacts of Ascaris suum in swine production systems
Keywords:
ascariasis, swine helminthiasis, animal health, biosecurity, zoonosisAbstract
Ascaris suum is a common helminth in pig production and continues to cause problems related to animal health, productivity, welfare, and food safety. The objective of this review was to analyze its epidemiological, productive, and health impact in swine production systems based on scientific literature published between 2010 and 2025. A comprehensive narrative literature review was conducted, supported by searches in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus AI. A total of 126 records potentially related to the topic were identified, and relevant scientific literature on prevalence, diagnosis, economic losses, biosecurity, control, and zoonotic risk was integrated. The evidence shows variable prevalence according to production system: 7.6% in intensive farms in northern Italy, 34.8% in backyard pigs in Myanmar, and regional variability from 52% to 85% in farrowing or family-based areas. In organic or near-organic systems, infection reached up to 74% in finishing pigs. In productive terms, reductions of 16.8 g/day in average daily gain and losses of USD 6.50 ± 3.20 per infected pig have been reported, together with liver lesions known as milk spots. Regarding diagnosis, ELISA (Ensayo por inmunoabsorción ligado a enzimas) detected higher exposure than fecal flotation (69% vs. 13%), showing that coprological methods may underestimate infection. It is concluded that control should integrate hygiene, biosecurity, environmental management, strategic deworming, and serological surveillance.
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