Active surveillance reveals evidence of high seroprevalence of porcine respiratory pathogens in high-risk wildlife-livestock ecosystems along Uganda’s Albertine Rift Region

Background Uganda is East Africa’s leading producer of pork, yet data on swine respiratory pathogens remains limited, particularly at the wildlife-livestock interfaces of the Albertine Rift region. Here we assessed the seroprevalence, and risk factors of six key pathogens associated with Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC) — Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), Swine Influenza Virus (SIV), Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2), Porcine Adenovirus (ADV), Porcine Parvovirus (PPV), and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MH) —in this high-risk ecosystem. Results Data from 90 pig herds across 11 districts revealed high prevalence rates for SIV (82.2%), PCV2 (70.0%), and PPV (62.7%); moderate for MH (18.9%), low for ADV (1.1%) andan absence of PRRSV. Risk factors linked to high pathogen prevalence included boar sharing, lack of perimeter fencing, and inadequate equipment hygiene. Results also showed that scavenging restrictions were protective against MH. The absence of PRRSV may reflect epidemiological isolation from high-density pig areas in central Uganda, though high within-region contact rates suggest vulnerability to rapid spread if introduced. Conclusion This study establishes critical baseline data for swine respiratory pathogens in western Uganda, highlights the Albertine region as a potential hotspot for pathogen emergence, and emphasizes the need for surveillance, farmer training, and biosecurity interventions to protect pig health and productivity.