Abstract
Simple SummaryPorcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae are widespread pathogens which cause a negative health impact on swine and thus lead to important economic losses in farms. Vaccination is the main preventive measure for both infections and, since the recommended vaccination programs against both pathogens are very similar, bivalent vaccines are commercially available. However, the immune status of the sows against these infections could interfere in the efficacy of these products. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of two ready-to-use vaccines against PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae in a herd positive to both infections under field conditions, considering the sow parity of the studied piglets. Both vaccines were efficient in preventing the development of PCV2 viremia, M. hyopneumoniae lung lesions and improving pig growth. Nevertheless, only one of them showed a significant improvement in the average daily weight gain and in the reduction of lung lesions when compared to the unvaccinated group. Sow parity did not interfere in the obtained outcomes. Considering the used vaccine, the anti-PCV2 antibody response was slightly different in pigs from primiparous sows than in those from sows with a higher parity number.Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae are economically important pathogens in swine farms. Vaccination is the main preventive measure for both infections. In order to test two ready-to-use bivalent vaccines, 646 piglets from a herd actively infected with both pathogens were stratified according to the sow parity number and randomly assigned to three groups: A and B were vaccinated with two different vaccines, respectively, while C remained as the unvaccinated control. Vaccine efficacy was assessed based on the weight, average daily weight gain (ADWG), degree of lung lesions, presence of PCV2 viremia by qPCR and presence of PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae antibody levels by ELISA. Our data revealed that the sow parity did not influence the vaccine outcomes. Good results for most of the analyzed parameters were observed in both vaccinated groups. ADGW and final weight were higher and lung lesions were less evident in both vaccinated groups than in the control one, but only Group A showed a significant improvement. PCV2 viremia was not detected in Group A, but it did appear in Group B coinciding with its peak in Group C. Finally, both the PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae serological patterns differed depending on the employed vaccine.
Highlights
Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae are two main pathogens of swine, present in most commercial farms [1,2]
The aims of this study were to compare, under field conditions, the improvement of production parameters and the virological, immunological and pathological outcomes of two groups of pigs vaccinated with different commercial ready-to-use PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae vaccines regarding an unvaccinated group, as well as to investigate if the sow parity may influence the efficacy of these vaccines
The protection provided by the PCV2–M. hyopneumoniae ready-to-use vaccines seemed to show an improvement of the average daily weight gain (ADWG) and the mortality rates at herd level
Summary
Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae are two main pathogens of swine, present in most commercial farms [1,2] Both infections produce a considerable health impact, affecting the whole fattening phase: while in PCV2 natural infections, the clinical signs are observed during the first few weeks of fattening [3], those due to M. hyopneumoniae occur towards the end of that production stage [4]. Both infections contribute to the development of secondary infections; for example, bacteria such as Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae are known to be able to proliferate as a consequence of M. hyopneumoniae infection [5]. Applying vaccines that are simultaneously protective for both PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae is epidemiologically justified by the following reasons: first, their efficacy is equivalent to that obtained when they are administered separately [10,11]; second, this strategy offers advantages to swine producers such as reducing the labor costs, the number of manipulations that the animals undergo and the risk of pathogen transmission through needles; third, this lower need for animal manipulation and injection leads to an improvement of piglet welfare
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