Dutch fox-related parvovirus linked to emerging piglet syndrome across Europe

A newly identified fox-associated parvovirus is causing a piglet syndrome characterised by bulging eyes and skin issues, raising concerns over its impact on swine productivity across Europe.

Royal GD in the Netherlands says a previously obscure fox-related parvovirus is now being linked to a growing piglet syndrome marked by bulging eyes, strabismus, skin reddening and hair loss. Cases were first noticed in late 2024 on an 850-sow farm, where affected piglets remained alert and afebrile despite visible eye and skin changes. Subsequent field work found the syndrome in around 15% of suckling piglets in some litters, with signs also appearing in weaned animals and, more subtly, in some sows.

Routine diagnostics initially produced mixed results and did not explain the pattern. That changed when Royal GD applied next-generation sequencing to stored tissue, identifying a protoparvovirus genome closely matching a virus found in Dutch fox faeces in 2012. PCR testing then detected the virus in affected animals, but not in healthy pigs, and in-situ hybridisation confirmed viral activity in tissue. The virus was later isolated.

According to Pig Progress, about 50 Dutch farms had tested positive by mid-2025, with the condition seen in the east and south of the country. Similar reports have since emerged elsewhere in Europe. The concern for producers is less mortality than performance: reduced feed intake, slower growth and lower saleable weights. Royal GD says the outbreak appears to fade over months, but may recur if herd immunity weakens.