[Trends in research related to the health of pigs]

The intensification of pig husbandry has important consequences for pig health care. More attention must not only be paid to clinical outbreaks of disease but also to subclinical problems and disturbances of production. More research must be done to improve the efficiency of disease control and beyond this to the optimalization of prevention. The roles of etiology, biotechnology, the research on pathogenesis, epidemiology and immunology in meeting these goals are roughly outlined and illustrated with concrete examples derived from the program of the C.V.I. (Central Veterinary Institute) in the Netherlands. How this research will affect research immediately connected with health care is explored at the end of this article.