Porcine Health Management

Introduction Escherichia coli (EC) is a primary pathogen involved in neonatal diarrhea (ND). ND occurs when the protection granted by maternally derived antibodies (MDA) is overwhelmed by a high bacterial challenge of the piglets. The objective of this study was to assess the levels of EC antibodies (ab) induced by two commercially available vaccines in sows.

Piglet vaccination against Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) can play a very important role in the control of this disease. Here we document the impact of a PRRS piglet vaccination implementation under commercial conditions in the UK with PRRS clinically present. <strong>Material & Methods</strong> PRRS virus circulation was confirmed with serology and PCR.

Addition of crude fibres-CF in the sow diet has beneficial effects on the gut health; however, the effects on metabolism are not clear. This field study investigated the effects of Arbocel^® (raw CF concentrate made from lignocellulose with a CF content>65%) on sow’s metabolism and performance.

Eradication of <i>Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae</i> (Mhp) from breeding herds has become a popular method in U.S. production systems to improve downstream performance. However, there are no guidelines available to confirm success of an eradication program. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop diagnostic sampling guidelines specific to Mhp low prevalence populations.  

The objective of this study was to characterize the Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) colonization and seroconversion pattern in negative gilts, which had been recently introduced to three positive farms. Materials: Farms practiced different types of replacement gilts’ flow. Two of the three farms (A and B) practiced continuous flow, where gilts were co-housed with older gilts exhibiting coughing immediately post-entry, and shared the same air space, regardless of age.

Continuous sound monitoring systems hold the potential to remotely differentiate the primary etiology of clinical episodes of respiratory disease. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the ability of a continuous sound monitoring system to classify patterns of clinical respiratory disease in growing pigs according to their primary etiology under large-scale commercial production conditions.

Continuous sound monitoring systems have been shown to better detect clinical episodes of respiratory disease. However, microphones used in such systems have distance limits of sound detection. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the optimal placement and configuration of a continuous sound monitoring system in large airspace buildings containing growing pigs to enable both a high sensitivity for detection and establishing directionality of clinical respiratory episodes. Materials and Methods Cough monitors (SOMO+ Respiratory Distress Monitor, SoundTalks NV, Leuven, Belgium) were obtained and installed in three large commercial wean-to-finish facilities designed to house 1200 to 2400 pigs per airspace.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is considered as the most economically important diseases in pig industry worldwide. Active infection during farrowing period cause vertical transmission of PRRSv from sow to piglets. Umbilical blood testing can be used to identify such transmission. Tilmicosin, a macrolide antibiotic has been reported to reduce the severity of PRRSv infection in nursery pigs. Moreover, tilmicosin provides activity against PRRSv. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of tilmicosin (Pulmotil^®) supplementation in sows feed prior to farrow and during lactation on lactation performance parameters in a farm with PRRSv infection.  

The circadian system is based on a multioscillatory neural network that generates and sends a temporal signal throughout the entire organism, which drives biological rhythms. From the main marker rhythms of the circadian system core body temperature (CBT) and skin temperature (ST) are two of the most used due to its reliability and ease of use, respectively. Thus, the aim of this study is to check the reliability of ST as CBT indicator. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thermochron iButton DS1921H (Maxim Integrated Products, Sunnyvale, California) were used to measure CBT and ST with a precision of ±0.125°C and a sample rate of 1 minute during 1,4 days.

COMBAT (Comprehensive Online Management and Biosecurity Assessment Tool) is a new app developed by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica to help farmers and veterinarians to evaluate and improve the level of biosecurity, pig flow and management procedures  and benchmark against other farms. COMBAT is based on a detailed set of 55 questions to be answered directly in the application. Material & Methods</strong> This study is based on more than 1000 COMBAT’s (questionnaires) from 46 different countries globally.

Diseases of the respiratory tract are often summarized as the “porcine respiratory disease complex” (PRDC). PRDC shows a high variability in the field. Because of a wide spectrum of etiological factors, diagnosis needs to combine clinical examination, dissection and the isolation of pathogens. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) might be a new, non-invasive method that could add valuable information from living pigs. The aim of the present study was to validate IOS in pigs with respiratory diseases based on their associated histopathology.  

One of the pillars of the prevention, control and eradication of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome is the biosecurity. Boehringer Ingelheim has developed COMBAT (Comprehensive Online Management and Biosecurity Assessment Tool) that allows pig producers to identify areas of improvement and to correct high risk practices .   Materials and Methods COMBAT is based on a set of 58 questions. The relative risks are calculated in 4 categories: Internal risks, External risks, Location risks and management risks. 21 Spanish farms completed COMBAT on-line between August 17th and November 17th.  

The introduction and management of replacement gilts is an important topic with regard to the control of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in the farm. Improper acclimation may result in colonization of the suckling piglets and increased M. hyo related respiratory disease in growing pigs. This survey is the second part of a previous one on the same subject in the Spanish swine farms.     Materials and Methods   The survey included 16 questions designed to identify which gilt acclimation methods for M. hyo are currently used in Spanish farms nowadays.

The detection in bioaerosols of three pathogens involved in the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC), namely swine influenza A virus (swIAV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp), was evaluated in six pig herds affected by PRDC.   Material & methods The herds were previously known to be affected by swIAV, PRRSV and Mhp. Bioaerosols were collected using a wet cyclone technology (Coriolis®µ air Sampler). In all herds, air samples were taken in rooms housing pigs. The loading area with pigs waiting for the slaughterhouse delivery was sampled in two herds.

Oral fluids (OF) are used extensively for PRRSV surveillance: qRT-PCR detects active infection and antibody ELISA is useful for establishing prior exposure.  However, in weaned pig populations originating from PRRSV infected and/or vaccinated sow herds, colostral IgG cannot be differentiated from IgG produced by the pigs in response to infection.  To address this problem, we developed and evaluated IgM- and/or IgA-specific oral fluid ELISAs as a means to detect PRRSV infection in weaned pig populations with circulating colostral antibody.