Mulberry heart disease makes a comeback

Once virtually pushed aside as a major disease in pigs, MHD is now resurgent and indications are that distillers dried grains with solubles may be the culprit

by S. ERNEST SANFORD

Over the last 18 to 24 months I’ve been hearing of a growing number of outbreaks of mulberry heart disease (MHD). Reports are mainly from locations in the United States, but more recently also from Canadian sources.

MHD was very common in herds throughout the major pig-rearing areas worldwide in the 1960s and ’70s. By the 1980s, researchers had nailed down the cause of MHD as being due to vitamin E and selenium deficiency, and these two micronutrients were widely incorporated into pigs’ rations.

Better Pork - October 2010