A sow that aborts ("nakunan ang baboy") is a same-day problem. Glove up, bag the fetuses, isolate her. In PH backyards leptospirosis tops the list, especially after floods or visible rats — about 67% of PH pigs test MAT-positive for at least one lepto serovar. Then narrow by gestation stage, fetus appearance, and whether one sow or three.
What To Do In The First Hour
- Glove up. Boots, dedicated clothes. Soap then alcohol after.
- Isolate the sow with separate water and feed.
- Bag fetuses + placenta in double plastic. For lab testing, refrigerate at 4°C. Do not freeze, it kills histopath and culture.
- Disposal: deep bury 1 m+ with lime, or incinerate. Never compost, never feed to dogs.
- Disinfect the pen with 1:32 bleach, Virkon S, or quicklime. Strip bedding.
- Watch the sow 5 days for retained placenta (foul brown discharge past 24 h), fever above 40°C, off feed, mastitis. Any of these = vet.
- Two or more sows aborting in 30 days = outbreak. Stop pig movement and call BAI.
Lepto and brucella pass to humans through contact with aborted material, urine, and blood. Wear rubber gloves and boots when handling fetuses. Wash with soap, then disinfect with alcohol. If you develop fever, muscle pain, or dark urine within 2 weeks, tell your doctor you handled a pig abortion.
The Differential, By Field Clue
Three questions narrow it down: how many sows, what stage of gestation, what do the fetuses look like.
| Cause | Gestation | Fetus pattern | PH backyard clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leptospirosis | 2-4 wk pre-term | Autolyzed + weak live + stillborn mixed | Recent flood, rats, free-range dogs |
| Parvovirus (PPV/SMEDI) | 30-70 d | Mummies of varying sizes | Unvaccinated first-litter gilt |
| PRRS | After day 90 | Fresh + autolyzed dead; sow febrile 1-3 d before | Late storm; nursery respiratory follows |
| ASF | Any | Sudden deaths, fever 40.5-42°C, red/purple skin | 8 brgys active Jan 2026 (Bicol, CVisayas, Caraga) |
| Brucellosis | Any, often late | Orchitis in boar | New unscreened boar/gilt |
| Mycotoxin (zearalenone) | Implantation | Small litters, returns to heat | Visibly mouldy corn |
| Heat stress | Implantation + late | Reduced litter, mummies | Pen above 32°C, no shade |
| Trauma | Any | Single sow only | Fight, slip, sloped pen, dog attack |
The Three Most Likely In A PH Backyard Pen
Leptospirosis
Lead suspect after rain, typhoon, or visible rats. Pigs catch it from rat urine in waterers. Late-term abortion, sometimes with weak live piglets.
Treat the whole exposed group, not just the aborter:
- Oxytetracycline LA (Terramycin LA, Engemycin), 20 mg/kg IM, every 48-72 h x 2-3 doses. ₱350-500 / 100 mL.
- Vaccinate the rest with PPV + lepto + erysipelas combo (Farrowsure Gold).
- Year-round rat control: bait stations, snap traps, sealed feed.
Glove discipline is not optional. PH human lepto burden is real: Ondoy 2009 saw 2,089 cases, 162 deaths.
Porcine parvovirus (SMEDI)
Shows up as mummified fetuses of different sizes in one litter, mixed with normal piglets and fresh stillbirths. By the time you see this, the litter is over. The job is to protect future breedings.
Vaccinate every gilt with a PPV + lepto + erysipelas combo (Farrowsure Gold B, Porcilis Ery+Parvo+Lepto, or Eryseng Parvo/Lepto), two doses 3-4 weeks apart, last shot at least 2 weeks pre-breeding. Boost every gestation.
Mycotoxin (zearalenone, fumonisin, ergot)
Damp-stored corn, May to November. 8.2% of PH maize samples carry zearalenone (Salvador et al. 2019). The same mould story drives swollen vulva and rectal prolapse.
Inspect the corn for clumps, dark spots, off-smell. Switch the batch, run a binder (Toxoff, Mycosorb) at 1-2 kg per ton through the rainy months.
Stop, Isolate, Call: When It Is ASF
ASF-affected barangays dropped 92% from 98 (Dec 2025) to 8 (Jan 2026), with active cases in Bicol, Central Visayas, and Caraga. Government-controlled vaccination is expanding (see the ASF recovery biosecurity guide), but the virus is not gone. Sudden deaths + fever 40.5-42°C + skin reddening + abortion = stop, do not move pigs, do not sell, call BAI at (02) 8528-2240 today. The outbreak response guide covers the biosecurity lockdown.
ASF has no treatment. If you see sudden deaths with high fever and red/purple skin patches alongside abortion, isolate the pen immediately and report to your municipal or provincial vet office within 24 hours. Early reporting triggers faster indemnification under DA AO 10 Series 2024.
Treat The Sow That Aborted
A post-abortion sow is at high risk of secondary metritis. Watch for early sickness signs and cover her:
- Robipenstrep 1 mL per 10 kg IM daily x 5 days, OR Vetrimoxin LA 15 mg/kg IM, repeat at 48 h, OR Excenel RTU 3-5 mg/kg IM daily x 3 days.
- Meloxicam 0.4 mg/kg IM if febrile or sore.
- Oxytocin 10-20 IU IM if placenta is retained past 24 h, repeat every 2 h up to 3 doses.
See how to inject pigs and the MMA guide for the same antibiotic protocol.
Want A Real Diagnosis? Send Samples
To put a name on the disease:
- Whole fresh fetus (1-3, including mummies), refrigerated, not frozen
- Placenta section
- Maternal serum acute now + convalescent in 2-3 weeks (rising titer = active infection)
Send to a BAI Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, BAI ADDRL Quezon City, or UPLB-CVM Laguna. Tests: PCR (PRRS, PCV2, ASF, CSF, parvo), MAT (lepto), bacterial culture, histopath.
Prevention That Earns Its Money Back
- Vaccinate gilts before first service with a PPV + lepto + erysipelas combo. Best ROI here.
- Quarantine new gilts and boars 30 days. Blood-test for brucella and lepto.
- Rat control year-round. Clean feed room and sealed bags is half the lepto fight.
- Mycotoxin binder May to November. Cheap rainy-season insurance.
- Heat management: shade, wallow, water 24/7, breeding in cooler hours.
- No swill, no visitors, foot dip on the pen. ASF biosecurity is free until it isn't.
Bisaya / Cebuano
Para sa mga mag-uuma
Kung nakuhaan ang anay nimo, ayaw og hikap sa biik nga nahulog nga walay guwantes. Lepto ug brucella, motakod kana sa tawo. Ibutang sa duha ka plastik, ilubong og lawom (1 metro) nga giduhig og apog, o sunoga. Hugasi ang kamot og sabon dayon alcohol pagkahuman.
Una nga pangutana: usa ra ba ka anay, o duha o tulo na sulod sa usa ka bulan? Kung usa ra, kasagaran init, nasamad, o daot nga mais ang hinungdan. Kung daghan, dunay sakit nga gaapod-apod. Tawga ang vet, ipa-test ang biik (bag-o, gibutang sa ref, dili gi-frozen).
Sa probinsya, kasagaran kuyog sa baha ug ilaga ang lepto. Tambal: oxytetracycline LA (Terramycin LA), 20 mg matag kilo IM, balika kada 48-72 oras hangtod sa tulo ka beses. Presyo mga P350-500 matag 100 mL bote. Hatagi sab ang kuyog sa anay, dili lang ang nagsakit.
Ang biik nga nahulog nga magkalain-lain og gidak-on, mummies ug normal nga nagkasagol, parvovirus na kana. Walay tambal, pero bakunahi ang gilt sa sunod gamit PPV + lepto + erysipelas combo (duha ka dose, 3-4 ka semana ang taliwala, katapusan nga dose 2 semana sa dili pa paangkan).
Pagkahuman og kuha, hatagi ang anay og antibiotic (Robipenstrep, 1 mL matag 10 kg, IM, 3-5 ka adlaw) aron dili mag-metritis. Kung dili mogawas ang inunan sulod sa 24 oras, hatagi og oxytocin 10-20 IU IM.
Kung dunay kalit nga kamatayon, taas nga hilanat, ug pula nga panit, ayaw og gawasi ang baboy, tawga dayon ang BAI sa (02) 8528-2240. Mahimong ASF na kana.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Abortion in Pigs
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Leptospirosis in Swine
- NADIS: Porcine Parvovirus
- ThePigSite: Abortion / Embryo Loss
- Pig333: Abortion in Sows
- Salvador et al. 2019: Mycotoxigenic fungi in PH maize (8.2% zearalenone)
- CDC EID: Leptospirosis in PH after Typhoon Ondoy
- Acta Medica Philippina: Lepto seroprevalence in PH pigs, 67% MAT-positive (2007-2008)
- PNA: ASF-affected barangays drop 92% to 8 (Jan 2026)
- FAO: ASF Asia-Pacific situation update
