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11 pages, 491 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Protectivity and Safety of Two Vaccines against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in a Field Study

by Peter Hölzen, Tobias Warnck, Steffen Hoy, Kathleen Schlegel, Isabel Hennig-Pauka and Horst Gaumann

Agriculture 2021, 11(11), 1143; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11111143 - 15 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2793

Abstract

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae causing porcine pleuropneumoniae is responsible for lowered productivity and reduction of performance indicators such as daily weight gain and increase of losses in the swine industry worldwide. To control the disease, vaccination is used to reduce clinical signs and production losses. [...] Read more.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae causing porcine pleuropneumoniae is responsible for lowered productivity and reduction of performance indicators such as daily weight gain and increase of losses in the swine industry worldwide. To control the disease, vaccination is used to reduce clinical signs and production losses. A randomized, blinded field trail was conducted to compare two licensed A. pleuropneumoniae vaccines in 600 finishing pigs in terms of lung lesions, mortality, medication, weight gain and safety, in a farm in northeast Germany. After weaning, pigs were allocated randomly in two groups resulting in group sizes of 300 individuals. Nursery pigs were vaccinated at the age of 7 to 10 weeks either with a A. pleuropneumoniae bacterin, containing ApxI-III toxoids (group 1), or with a subunit purified A. pleuropneumoniae toxoid vaccine (group 2). Blinded lung lesion scoring at slaughter following the Ceva Lung Program methodology revealed a significantly lower proportion of lungs affected with pleurisy in group 1 compared to group 2. Weighing of the animals did not show a significant difference (p = 0.092); however, at the end of finishing animals of group 1 showed a 1.59 kg higher weight (100.40 ± 10.15 kg) compared to animals in group 2 (98.81 kg ± 11.56 kg). Mortality and antimicrobial medication were significantly lower in group 1 compared to group 2 (13 losses and 17 antimicrobial medications in group 2, 4 losses and 1 antimicrobial medications in group 1). Injection site and systemic adverse reactions were recorded on both days of vaccination and did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05). In this study, the efficacy of vaccination with a commercially available A. pleuropneumoniae bacterin containing ApxI-III toxoids was superior to that of a commercially available A. pleuropneumoniae subunit toxoid vaccine in preventing pulmonary lesions associated with A. pleuropneumoniae infection.Grzegorz Woźniakowski Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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8 pages, 3368 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Combined Therapy of Probiotic Supplementation and Rehydration Improves Blood Dehydration Parameters and Decreases Mortality of Neonatal Piglets Naturally Infected with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus: A Clinical Trial

by Takio Inatomi, Takamitsu Tsukahara, Gustavo A. Romero-Pérez and Ryo Inoue

Agriculture 2021, 11(11), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11111058 - 28 Oct 2021

Viewed by 2273

Abstract

Although rehydration therapy (RT) has been used to treat animals suffering from viral diarrhea, mortality among farm animals still remains high, as RT alone neither significantly minimizes the duration of the illness nor reduces the looseness of stools. As porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) [...] Read more.

Although rehydration therapy (RT) has been used to treat animals suffering from viral diarrhea, mortality among farm animals still remains high, as RT alone neither significantly minimizes the duration of the illness nor reduces the looseness of stools. As porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a viral disease and PED treatments are still very limited, vaccination is the common strategy to prevent it. Thus, the aim of the present study was to test whether a combination of RT and probiotics supplementation could help to improve the mortality of suckling piglets kept in a commercial farm and naturally infected with PED virus. Piglets receiving a combination of probiotic supplementation and RT showed improved (p < 0.01) blood parameters such as base excess and bicarbonate ion concentration when compared with untreated control piglets and piglets administered with RT alone. When compared with that of control piglets, mortality during the suckling period was the lowest (p < 0.05) in piglets receiving the combined therapy, but statistically unchanged between piglets receiving either RT or RT and probiotics. Our preliminary results should motivate further research on the use of a combined rehydration and probiotics therapy to reduce mortality in piglets suffering from acute diarrhea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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15 pages, 1348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Infrared Thermography of the Mammary Gland in Sows with Regard to Health and Performance

by Stephan Rosengart, Bussarakam Chuppava, Dana Carina Schubert, Lea-Sophie Trost, Hubert Henne, Jens Tetens, Imke Traulsen, Ansgar Deermann, Christian Visscher and Michael Wendt

Agriculture 2021, 11(10), 1013; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11101013 - 17 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3110

Abstract

Monitoring of sows’ health is the key to preventing and controlling diseases in sows, and it guarantees optimal rearing conditions for piglets. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the health status of sows shortly after parturition, and to [...] Read more.

Monitoring of sows’ health is the key to preventing and controlling diseases in sows, and it guarantees optimal rearing conditions for piglets. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the health status of sows shortly after parturition, and to analyze thermographic images of the mammary gland and the sows’ performance. Clinical examination of a total of 513 db.Viktoria hybrid sows was bundled individually using a modified score system. According to this, animals were divided into three health classes: healthy, clinically suspicious, and diseased. Simultaneously, the mammary glands were investigated by infrared thermography. Total born piglets (TBP), number of piglets born alive (NBA), and the daily weight gain of the piglets were significantly lower in the diseased group (p < 0.05). Regarding the results of the thermographic images of the mammary gland, significantly higher mean value of the warmest pixels was found in the diseased group (38.3 °C ± 0.57), while the significantly lowest value was reported in the healthy group (37.2 °C ± 0.54; p < 0.05). The results of this study show that thermography of the mammary gland at birth contains information that can help to identify diseased animals whose disease has negative effects on their piglets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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6 pages, 222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gastric Lesions in Culled Sows: An Underestimated Welfare Issue in Modern Swine Production

by Piotr Cybulski, Aleksandra Woźniak, Joachim Urban and Tomasz Stadejek

Agriculture 2021, 11(10), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11100927 - 27 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2593

Abstract

Specific anatomy of the porcine stomach results in a high risk of ulceration in the pars oesophagea. A fully developed ulcer leads to intermittent gastrointestinal bleeding followed by clinical symptoms of chronic pain; thus, gastric ulceration in pigs causes significant production losses and [...] Read more.

Specific anatomy of the porcine stomach results in a high risk of ulceration in the pars oesophagea. A fully developed ulcer leads to intermittent gastrointestinal bleeding followed by clinical symptoms of chronic pain; thus, gastric ulceration in pigs causes significant production losses and serious welfare problems. Nowadays, gastric ulceration is common in domestic pigs throughout the world, but a great deal of attention has been directed at finishers. This paper was intended to provide new data on the prevalence of the disease in commercially reared highly prolific sows. The study was carried out on 329 culled sows from four commercial farms located in Northern Poland. The severity of gross pathological lesions of pars oesophagea was assigned to grade 0 (no lesions), 1 (parakeratosis), 2 (erosion), or 3 (gastric ulceration with or without stenosis) by a veterinary practitioner. Abattoir analysis revealed 66.6% of sows’ stomachs with some degree of alterations. Gastric ulceration was detected in 45.5% of examined organs. Parakeratosis and erosion were found in 1.2 and 15.8% of stomachs, respectively. The investigation did not find any oesphageal strictures. Our investigation of the problem in high health status hyper-prolific sows showed the lowest prevalence of gastric lesions (i.e., ulcerative and preulcerative alterations collectively) compared to earlier studies but the highest percentage of gastric ulcers. The results indicate that gastric ulcers may be a highly prevalent and underestimated welfare issue in sows in modern pig production, worth further studies focusing on particular risk factors related to feeding, genetics, management issues, and sows longevity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

9 pages, 255 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Dietary Risk Factors of Gastric Ulcers in Finishing Pigs from 16 Polish Farms

by Piotr Cybulski, Magdalena Larska, Aleksandra Woźniak, Artur Jabłoński and Tomasz Stadejek

Agriculture 2021, 11(8), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11080719 - 29 Jul 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3251

Abstract

Sudden death caused by the acute form of gastric ulceration has developed into a widely recognised health and welfare problem. The importance of different triggering factors is poorly understood. The study was carried out on finishers slaughtered in Poland. The collected animal-level data [...] Read more.

Sudden death caused by the acute form of gastric ulceration has developed into a widely recognised health and welfare problem. The importance of different triggering factors is poorly understood. The study was carried out on finishers slaughtered in Poland. The collected animal-level data were transformed to a herd-level dataset, which included 27 predictor variables. From a total of 32,264 pig stomachs examined, 23,188 (71.9%) had gastric lesions. Total of 17,703 organs (54.9%) had ulcers. Scores 1 (hyperkeratotic) and 2 (erosions) were observed in 2958 (9.2%) and 2527 (7.8%), respectively. A significant (p < 0.05) association of the ulcer prevalence was found for a number of variables. Raising the level of protein significantly (p = 0.04) increased (ρ = 0.22) the occurrence of gastric ulcers. The addition of wheat bran (p = 0.02) and its growing share in feed composition had the contrary effect (ρ = −0.27). Feeding pelleted feed was significantly associated (p = 0.001) with the higher prevalence of the disease, opposite to liquid feeding (p = 0.0002) and supplementation of a mycotoxin deactivator (p = 0.0008). Although, the immediate transition from one feeding system to another in most of the farms is impossible, the addition of materials such as wheat bran, and routine supplementation with mycotoxin deactivators may be a practical and relatively low-cost solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

20 pages, 3368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mitigation of Airborne PRRSV Transmission with UV Light Treatment: Proof-of-Concept

by Peiyang Li, Jacek A. Koziel, Jeffrey J. Zimmerman, Jianqiang Zhang, Ting-Yu Cheng, Wannarat Yim-Im, William S. Jenks, Myeongseong Lee, Baitong Chen and Steven J. Hoff

Agriculture 2021, 11(3), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11030259 - 18 Mar 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5710 | Correction

Abstract

Proper treatment of infectious air could potentially mitigate the spread of airborne viruses such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The objective of this research is to test the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) in inactivating aerosolized PRRSV, specifically, four UV lamps, [...] Read more.

Proper treatment of infectious air could potentially mitigate the spread of airborne viruses such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The objective of this research is to test the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) in inactivating aerosolized PRRSV, specifically, four UV lamps, UV-A (365 nm, both fluorescent and LED-based), “excimer” UV-C (222 nm), and germicidal UV-C (254 nm), were tested. The two UV-C lamps effectively irradiated fast-moving PRRSV aerosols with short treatment times (<2 s). One-stage and two-stage UV inactivation models estimated the UV doses needed for target percentage (%) reductions on PRRSV titer. UV-C (254 nm) dose needed for 3-log (99.9%) reduction was 19.43 and 2.44 mJ/cm², respectively, based on one-stage and two-stage models. UV-C (222 nm) doses needed for a 3-log reduction 2.81 and 1.04 mJ/cm², based on one-stage and two-stage models, respectively. However, the cost of 222 nm excimer lamps is still economically prohibitive for scaling-up trials. The UV-A (365 nm) lamps could not reduce PRRSV titers for tested doses up to 4.11 mJ/cm². Pilot-scale or farm-scale testing of UV-C on PRRSV aerosols simulating barn ventilation rates are recommended based on its effectiveness and reasonable costs comparable to HEPA filtration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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21 pages, 3458 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Orally Fed Recombinant Lactococcus lactis Displaying Surface Anti-Fimbrial Nanobodies Protects Piglets against Escherichia coli Causing Post-Weaning Diarrhea

by Emmanuel Okello, Kristof Moonens, Joseph Erume and Henri De Greve

Agriculture 2021, 11(3), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11030186 - 24 Feb 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3347

Abstract

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) and edema disease (ED), caused by enterotoxigenic and Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (ETEC and STEC) strains, are important diseases of newly weaned piglets worldwide. The objective of this study is to develop a passive immunization strategy to protect piglets [...] Read more.

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) and edema disease (ED), caused by enterotoxigenic and Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (ETEC and STEC) strains, are important diseases of newly weaned piglets worldwide. The objective of this study is to develop a passive immunization strategy to protect piglets against PWD and ED using recombinant Lactococcus lactis added to piglet diet at weaning. The Variable Heavy chain domains of Heavy chain antibodies (VHHs) or Nanobodies (Nbs), directed against the fimbrial adhesins FaeG (F4 fimbriae) and FedF (F18 fimbriae) of E. coli were cloned and expressed on the surface of L. lactis. In vitro, the recombinant L. lactis strains agglutinated and inhibited adhesion of cognate F4 or F18 fimbriae expressing E. coli to pig villous preparation. In vivo, the anti-F4 L. lactis protected weaned piglets against a challenge with an F4-positive ETEC strain. Piglets supplemented with oral anti-F4 L. lactis showed reduced fecal E. coli shedding. We concluded that the surface expressed Nanobodies on L. lactis neutralized the adhesins of targeted E. coli and abrogated gut colonization, the first step in disease pathogenesis. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the potential of passive immunization with recombinant L. lactis as a viable alternative to antibiotic prophylaxis in preventing piglet-post-weaning diarrhea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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22 pages, 2893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Knotweed in Diet on Physiological Changes in Pig

by Petr Maděra, Marcela Kovářová, Tomáš Frantík, Radek Filipčík, Jan Novák, Štěpán Vencl, Lucie Maděrová, Miroslav Rozkot, Stanislava Kuchařová, Eva Václavková, Jana Truněčková, Jana Volková, Zora Nývltová and Michal Bartoš

Agriculture 2021, 11(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11020169 - 19 Feb 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4530

Abstract

Knotweeds (Reynoutria spp.) are plants producing useful secondary metabolites, including stilbenes (resveratrol and piceid have been studied more thoroughly) and emodin. Many studies have shown the positive effects of resveratrol on the health status of humans and animals. Resveratrol has been added [...] Read more.

Knotweeds (Reynoutria spp.) are plants producing useful secondary metabolites, including stilbenes (resveratrol and piceid have been studied more thoroughly) and emodin. Many studies have shown the positive effects of resveratrol on the health status of humans and animals. Resveratrol has been added into pigs’ diet as a pure extract, but it has never been supplemented into the fodder with knotweed biomass which contains other secondary metabolites, thus we would expect it would provide a more complex effect. The study objective is to discover whether the 2 weight percent addition of knotweed into pigs’ diet will have positive effects on their health. We compared two groups of Prestice Black-Pied pigs, the experimental group was fed by fodder with the knotweed rhizomes additive, the control group without knotweed additive. Investigated parameters were feed consumption, the composition of excrements, weight increment, muscle-to-fat ratio, fatty acid composition and blood haematology and biochemistry. The addition of knotweed stimulated a whole range of physiological changes. It positively stimulated weight growth and increased the back fat and proportion of muscle, but statistically significant only in gilts. On the other hand, the changes in fatty acid composition seemed to be unsatisfactory. It is the first study of the effects of knotweed on pigs’ development, and more detailed research is desirable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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13 pages, 2587 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) in Poland in 2019—Wild Boars: Searching Pattern

by Maciej Frant, Anna Gal, Łukasz Bocian, Anna Ziętek-Barszcz, Krzysztof Niemczuk and Grzegorz Woźniakowski

Agriculture 2021, 11(1), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11010045 - 9 Jan 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3798

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) was introduced to Poland in 2014. Despite the implementation of preventive actions focused on the reduction of wild boar populations and the introduction of biosecurity rules in domestic pig farms, the disease has been continuously spreading to new areas. [...] Read more.

African swine fever (ASF) was introduced to Poland in 2014. Despite the implementation of preventive actions focused on the reduction of wild boar populations and the introduction of biosecurity rules in domestic pig farms, the disease has been continuously spreading to new areas. The aim of this paper was to analyze the dynamics of ASFV spread in wild boar populations in Poland and to summarize the 2019 epidemiological situation. Using a logistic regression model, it has been shown that there is a significant correlation between the month, ASF affected area and ASF prevalence among wild boars. According to EU definitions, Part II and Part III zones had a total of 3065 (65.2%) ASF-positive death wild boars. In addition, there were 36 post-accident (road-killed) wild boars (2.6%) and 612 hunted animals (1.5%) in this area. These results showed the importance of passive surveillance and its advantages overactive surveillance in ASF control and prevention. The data indicated a greater chance of a positive result in the winter months (January, February, March) than in reference September, where the ASF prevalence was the lowest. This observation confirms the preliminary theory about the seasonality of the disease in wild boar populations and its connection with winter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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8 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vaccination of Sows against Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) in a Subclinically Infected Herd Does Not Impact Reproductive Performance

by Piotr Cybulski, Aleksandra Woźniak, Katarzyna Podgórska and Tomasz Stadejek

Agriculture 2020, 10(12), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10120639 - 16 Dec 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3972

Abstract

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination in piglets has become one of the crucial and indisputable procedures in modern swine production. The role of PCV2 vaccination in breeding animals is less explored. In the present study, the evaluation of the impact of sow [...] Read more.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination in piglets has become one of the crucial and indisputable procedures in modern swine production. The role of PCV2 vaccination in breeding animals is less explored. In the present study, the evaluation of the impact of sow vaccination on reproductive parameters was performed in a high health status, PCV2 subclinically infected herd of 3200 sows. The comparison of the number of liveborn, stillborn, and weak born piglets between groups of sows vaccinated on 1 or 28 days after weaning, or nonvaccinated, did not show any statistically significant differences. Although in the tested farm the vaccination of sows appeared to have no effect on reproductive performance, the results should not be generalized. Careful and individualized analysis of diagnostic and production data is crucial in economizing infectious disease control programs in sow herds and pig populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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Review

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10 pages, 1685 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Emergence of African Swine Fever in Poland (2014–2021). Successes and Failures in Disease Eradication

by Grzegorz Woźniakowski, Zygmunt Pejsak and Artur Jabłoński

Agriculture 2021, 11(8), 738; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11080738 - 3 Aug 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4403

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) in Poland has been a major concern for pig production for the last seven years. The main constrains in ASF eradication in Poland are due to the high density of wild boar in ASF-affected areas of the country. Other [...] Read more.

African swine fever (ASF) in Poland has been a major concern for pig production for the last seven years. The main constrains in ASF eradication in Poland are due to the high density of wild boar in ASF-affected areas of the country. Other factors, responsible for long-distance ASF spread to new regions of the country, are mainly related to human-mediated activity and lack of awareness of the potential disease threat to pig production. In the case of pig holdings, the only effective measure of ASF prevention is strict implementation of biosecurity rules. Despite many efforts to implement these measures, the disease occurred in a number of voivodeships, poviats and counties of Poland, primarily in eastern Poland; however, starting from 2019, also in the western part of the country. Further recommendations to eradicate ASF in Poland or at least to minimize the economic loss caused by ASF in pig production include effective wild boar population management strategies along with the implementation of strict biosecurity measures. The observations from the last seven years of ASF epizootic in Poland clearly indicate that the disease could not have been effectively controlled in wild boar population and could only be restricted in domestic pig population following severe biosecurity rules. As for ASF spread control in wild boar population, the measures applied in other EU countries include active wild boar carcass search and disposal along with sanitary and reduction hunting. These measures have also been shown non-effective. The only solution for future sustainable pig production in Poland seems to be strict collaboration between pig producers, veterinary inspection, and hunting associations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Swine Diseases: Prevention, Control and Food Safety)

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