Health Management, Welfare, and Reproductive Performance in Pigs Under Contemporary Production Challenges

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 184

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: porcine medicine; porcine herd health management; porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV); porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD); porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC); reproductive diseases in sows and boars; welfare and production; heat stress; alternatives to antibiotics; vaccines; feed additives; mycotoxins; zoonoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pig production systems face increasing challenges related to animal health, welfare, and reproductive efficiency, driven by intensified production, evolving disease pressures, and changing environmental conditions. Effective health management and the prevention and control of reproductive diseases are central to ensuring sustainable productivity and maintaining acceptable welfare standards in modern pig farming.

Health disorders and suboptimal management practices can negatively affect pig welfare, growth performance, and reproductive outcomes, leading to economic losses and increased antimicrobial use. Reproductive diseases remain a major constraint in pig production, contributing to infertility, fetal losses, reduced litter size, and compromised piglet viability. These challenges require integrated strategies that combine disease surveillance, biosecurity, diagnostics, and evidence-based management practices.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the recent advances in health management, welfare assessment, and reproductive disease control in pigs. We welcome original research and review articles that address the health monitoring, welfare indicators, reproductive pathology, infectious and non-infectious reproductive disorders, management interventions, and innovative technologies that improve reproductive performance while safeguarding animal welfare. Contributions should support the development of resilient, efficient, and ethically responsible pig production systems

Prof. Dr. Vasileios Papatsiros
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pigs
  • animal health
  • animal welfare
  • reproductive efficiency
  • reproductive disorders
  • reproductive diseases

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop