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PCV2 Vaccination: Effects on Animal Health and Performance

Background

The effects of PCV2 have devastated the pig industry in recent years. PCV2 infection increases mortality and feed costs and reduces growth rate and feed efficiency.  Severe infection results in a significant reduction in net margin/pig (estimated at 2.3 to 16.0 euros/pig depending on the severity of infection: Pig International, March 2007).

Two different vaccines have recently become available to counteract this disease. We propose to investigate the use of these vaccines in our unit for which we have existing detailed records of performance and health which will provide a comparison as we introduce the vaccines. Our current post weaning mortality is around 12%. In addition we have 3 crossbred genotypes and will therefore be able to ascertain the impact of the vaccines on health and performance of each of these three genotypes. UK finisher growth rates are possibly the area of greatest concern in commercial pig production and it will be important to ascertain how to feed new healthy genotypes.

The study

Direct comparison of vaccinated and un-vaccinated pigs:

This experiment will determine:

  • The efficacy of vaccination against PCV2 in an affected herd which normally records 12% mortality after weaning
  • The optimum vaccination protocol for a) controlling the ill effects of PCV2 and b) optimising farm profit

Vaccination efficacy comparison:

This trial gives us the opportunity to investigate concentration of antibodies to PCV2 and PCV2 viral load in the serum of pigs in the unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated states hence providing evidence for the efficacy of the vaccinations tested.

Objectives

  • To compare the health and performance of unvaccinated pigs to that of individually vaccinated pigs, to pigs from vaccinated mothers and to individually vaccinated pigs from vaccinated mothers in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment
  • To investigate the effect of vaccination on the virology of PCV2

 

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