Microbes in Focus: Research Project on Hygiene in Piglet Rearing*

Hygienically safe water is a key component in the healthy development of young piglets. Even where high quality standards are met, open questions remain regarding the role played by the natural microbial diversity in drinking systems. In a highly relevant research project, the Medical University of Graz, the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, and HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein are jointly examining how microorganisms develop in water lines and what their significance for animal health might be. Using modern technologies, the project aims to generate new insights to inform targeted hygiene measures and sustainably reduce the use of antibiotics.

Prevention rather than treatment: Health in a critical developmental phase

The first weeks of life are a crucial developmental phase for piglets. The period around weaning from the sow and the transition to solid feed poses a particular challenge for the adaptation of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to needs-based feeding, the quality of drinking water plays an important role.

Known challenges in piglet rearing include diarrheal diseases that can be caused, among other agents, by certain variants of the bacterium Escherichia coli as well as by Clostridium perfringens. In practice, antibiotics may be used for treatment, in some cases administered via the drinking water. At the same time, every use of antimicrobial agents contributes to the emergence and spread of resistance. Colistin is particularly relevant in this context, as it is used in human medicine as a last-resort antibiotic. Preventive measures that avert disease as early as possible are therefore gaining importance.

Understanding the microbiome of water lines

An area that has received relatively little attention to date is the drinking system itself. While water in animal husbandry must meet high quality requirements, it is, like many natural habitats, not sterile and contains a variety of microorganisms. Under certain conditions, these microorganisms can settle on the surfaces of piping systems and form stable communities.

“Biofilms are natural microbial communities that can form on the surfaces of water lines. Their protective matrix can make microorganisms more resilient to external influences. The actual role these biofilms play in agricultural drinking systems—and whether they can influence the spread of health-relevant microorganisms—has not yet been sufficiently investigated. With MikroWaSta, we aim to close precisely this knowledge gap,” explains Gernot Zarfel of the Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine at Med Uni Graz.

“We want to better understand which microbial processes occur in drinking systems and whether certain structures, such as biofilms, may play a role in the spread of diarrheal pathogens. Only if we understand these relationships can we develop targeted hygiene measures,” says Doris Haas of the Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine at Med Uni Graz. In the “MikroWaSta” research project, the team at the Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine at Med Uni Graz is studying drinking systems in piglet-rearing operations together with HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

The project compares farms with different baseline health statuses. The researchers analyze samples from water, biofilms, feces, and feed. They employ both classical microbiological methods and modern metagenomic approaches. These allow the investigation not only of individual bacterial species but also of entire microbial communities, along with relevant resistance and virulence genes.

Modern technology makes microbial relationships visible

A particular focus is on whether certain bacterial strains can be detected across different types of samples. This can help to better understand potential links between water lines, the animal environment, and animal health.

The project’s findings are expected to clarify the role of biofilms as potential reservoirs for microorganisms in agricultural water systems and to reveal how microbial communities change over time. In the long term, this could inform new, targeted hygiene concepts and management practices.

“Our goal is to contribute to the early prevention of infections and the sustainable reduction of antibiotic use by improving our understanding of microbial processes in drinking systems,” says Evelyne Selberherr of the Centre of Food Science and Veterinary Public Health at Vetmeduni. The study does not question existing hygiene standards; rather, it aims to provide additional insights into how animal health and prevention can be further improved in modern husbandry systems.

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK), the project makes an important contribution to more sustainable animal husbandry and underscores the close connection between veterinary research, microbiology, and public health.

*Press release, Medical University of Graz, 25.08.2026