An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit

Mycoplasma (M.) hyopneumoniae remains a major economic and health challenge for pig production worldwide, causing lung lesions and coughing that reduce production performance and farm profitability. However, the interplay between transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic consequences has not yet...

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Authors: Boeters, M., Garcia Morante, Beatriz, Picault, S., van Schaik, G., Sibila, Marina, Segalés, Joaquim, Steeneveld, W.
Format: article
Publication Date:2026
Country:España
Institution:Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)
Repository:IRTA Pubpro. Open Digital Archive
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:irtapubpro__::26af0b516fa012b502597ee071aeb4d1
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/5196
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2026.101786
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:619
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spelling An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unitBoeters, M.Garcia Morante, BeatrizPicault, S.van Schaik, G.Sibila, MarinaSegalés, JoaquimSteeneveld, W.619Mycoplasma (M.) hyopneumoniae remains a major economic and health challenge for pig production worldwide, causing lung lesions and coughing that reduce production performance and farm profitability. However, the interplay between transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic consequences has not yet been fully characterised. To address this gap, a stochastic, individual-based bio-economic simulation model was developed using the EMULSION modelling framework. The model integrates infection dynamics, the development of lung lesions and coughing, and their subsequent effects on production performance and economic outcomes. Pigs were grouped within pens to represent within- and between-pen transmission. Production losses and additional labour requirements were translated into economic outcomes using a partial-budgeting approach. Model parameters were derived from scientific literature, representative industry reports and expert elicitation. Sensitivity analyses explored alternative distributions or values for key epidemiological parameters and assessed the effect of ± 20% variation in all input variables on biological and economic outputs. Simulations indicated that infection spread rapidly, reaching all pigs within 4–8 weeks, with peak prevalence approximately four weeks after fattening unit entry. Lung lesions followed a similar pattern, persisting at high prevalence for around two months, and a median of 14% of pigs still had unresolved lesions at slaughter. Coughing lagged about one week behind the rise in infection prevalence, reflecting the delay between infection and clinical signs. Median economic losses were €6 per pig, with reduced feed efficiency accounting for 73% of total losses. Sensitivity analyses identified between-pen transmission and initial prevalence as the most influential drivers of infection progression and profitability. The findings highlight key knowledge gaps, including the prevalence, infectiousness, and production impact of subclinical infections, as well as the need for longitudinal field data on lesion progression and between-pen transmission, to refine model assumptions and better align simulations with observations in practice. The modelling framework presented here provides a novel, integrated understanding of the biological and economic consequences of M. hyopneumoniae infection and a foundation for evaluating future control strategies.This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000494 (DECIDE).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionElsevierProducció AnimalSanitat Animal202620262026info:eu-repo/semantics/article11application/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/5196https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2026.101786reponame:IRTA Pubpro. Open Digital Archiveinstname:Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)InglésAnimalEC/H2020/101000494/EU/Data-driven control and prioritisation of non-EU-regulated contagious animal diseases/DECIDEAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:irtapubpro__::26af0b516fa012b502597ee071aeb4d12026-06-16T08:51:17Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
title An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
spellingShingle An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
Boeters, M.
619
title_short An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
title_full An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
title_fullStr An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
title_full_unstemmed An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
title_sort An integrated individual-based model of transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in a commercial pig fattening unit
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Boeters, M.
Garcia Morante, Beatriz
Picault, S.
van Schaik, G.
Sibila, Marina
Segalés, Joaquim
Steeneveld, W.
author Boeters, M.
author_facet Boeters, M.
Garcia Morante, Beatriz
Picault, S.
van Schaik, G.
Sibila, Marina
Segalés, Joaquim
Steeneveld, W.
author_role author
author2 Garcia Morante, Beatriz
Picault, S.
van Schaik, G.
Sibila, Marina
Segalés, Joaquim
Steeneveld, W.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Producció Animal
Sanitat Animal
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv 619
topic 619
description Mycoplasma (M.) hyopneumoniae remains a major economic and health challenge for pig production worldwide, causing lung lesions and coughing that reduce production performance and farm profitability. However, the interplay between transmission, clinical outcomes, and economic consequences has not yet been fully characterised. To address this gap, a stochastic, individual-based bio-economic simulation model was developed using the EMULSION modelling framework. The model integrates infection dynamics, the development of lung lesions and coughing, and their subsequent effects on production performance and economic outcomes. Pigs were grouped within pens to represent within- and between-pen transmission. Production losses and additional labour requirements were translated into economic outcomes using a partial-budgeting approach. Model parameters were derived from scientific literature, representative industry reports and expert elicitation. Sensitivity analyses explored alternative distributions or values for key epidemiological parameters and assessed the effect of ± 20% variation in all input variables on biological and economic outputs. Simulations indicated that infection spread rapidly, reaching all pigs within 4–8 weeks, with peak prevalence approximately four weeks after fattening unit entry. Lung lesions followed a similar pattern, persisting at high prevalence for around two months, and a median of 14% of pigs still had unresolved lesions at slaughter. Coughing lagged about one week behind the rise in infection prevalence, reflecting the delay between infection and clinical signs. Median economic losses were €6 per pig, with reduced feed efficiency accounting for 73% of total losses. Sensitivity analyses identified between-pen transmission and initial prevalence as the most influential drivers of infection progression and profitability. The findings highlight key knowledge gaps, including the prevalence, infectiousness, and production impact of subclinical infections, as well as the need for longitudinal field data on lesion progression and between-pen transmission, to refine model assumptions and better align simulations with observations in practice. The modelling framework presented here provides a novel, integrated understanding of the biological and economic consequences of M. hyopneumoniae infection and a foundation for evaluating future control strategies.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/5196
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2026.101786
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/5196
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2026.101786
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Animal
EC/H2020/101000494/EU/Data-driven control and prioritisation of non-EU-regulated contagious animal diseases/DECIDE
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 11
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:IRTA Pubpro. Open Digital Archive
instname:Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)
instname_str Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA)
reponame_str IRTA Pubpro. Open Digital Archive
collection IRTA Pubpro. Open Digital Archive
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,81155

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