Abstract
Diseases of Swine has a reputation as an outstanding resource for those involved in swine production, diagnostics, and education, and the ninth edition continues this strong tradition. The text is authored by an international group of 128 contributors who provide a global perspective on swine production and disease. It is an invaluable text for swine veterinarians, and goes into sufficient detail to be worthwhile for the veterinary specialist (bacteriologist, epidemiologist, pathologist, virologist).
One of the most outstanding features of Diseases of Swine is its organization. The text opens with a section on general clinical perspectives, which are organized by body systems and include numerous tables outlining differential diagnoses for common disease syndromes. This is followed by in depth chapters on specific disease-causing agents, which are broken down into an introduction with historical perspectives, etiology, epidemiology, clinical signs, pathogenesis, lesions, diagnosis, immunology, prevention and control, vaccines, and references. The text concludes with sections discussing veterinary practice and swine production. The organization facilitates finding the information that is of greatest value to a diverse readership.
Because of the extensive use of post mortem examination and tissue diagnostics in swine production, the text devotes considerable space to describing and illustrating gross and microscopic lesions. It is generally well-illustrated, but the veterinary pathologist will occasionally be disappointed when descriptions of distinctive gross or microscopic lesions are not accompanied by appropriate illustrations.
In preparing this review, I looked through the tattered remains of my copy of the eighth edition, where the Forward states that the goals of the editorial committee were to present the most current knowledge on swine diseases and production, select the best possible authors, make the book more user friendly, and carry on a tradition of excellence established by Howard Dunne (author of the first edition). I believe that the 9th edition has accomplished all of these goals. This text is the most complete and current resource available on swine diseases and is highly recommended for those that teach or are involved with swine in virtually any capacity.