Abstract
BackgroundA dedicated program to monitor for freedom of several economically important diseases is present within most of the breeding companies that currently deliver high health breeding animals to their customers. Serology is therefore the preferential approach in order to screen for most of these diseases, including Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae). However, in case of positive serology, further decisions on farm health status and the related consequences should be based on additional confirmation tests.Case presentationThe current case report demonstrates that tracheo-bronchial swab (TBS) sampling is a suitable alternative to confirm a suspect M. hyopneumoniae-seropositive situation. A Central-European SPF herd was shown positive (90% positive, 10% suspect; n = 10) for M. hyopneumoniae using the conventional ELISA serology (Idexx HerdChek Mhyo ELISA) and a second ELISA test (IDEIA™ Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae EIA kit) did not exclude potential M. hyopneumoniae infection (10% positive, 70% suspect; n = 10). Further follow-up remained inconclusive on both tests. Throughout the entire monitoring period of 6 months, no coughing, necropsy lesions or lesions at slaughter could be detected which could confirm the M. hyopneumoniae health status. TBS sampling was used to confirm the health status for M. hyopneumoniae. In total, 162 samples were collected at different ages (n = 18 per age category): piglets at 3–6–9-12 and 15 wks of age, rearing gilts at 18–21-24 and 27 weeks of age. Collected TBS samples were negative for M. hyopneumoniae until 15 wks of age, but rearing gilts were highly M. hyopneumoniae-positive from 18 wks onwards with 87–100% M. hyopneumoniae-positive animals and PCR Ct-values between 25 and 33.ConclusionsThis case report shows that collection of TBS samples to confirm the M. hyopneumoniae infection status of a breeding herd was able to provide additional information to serology in order to make crucial decisions concerning health management and eradication strategies within the breeding herd.
Highlights
A dedicated program to monitor for freedom of several economically important diseases is present within most of the breeding companies that currently deliver high health breeding animals to their customers
This case report shows that collection of tracheo-bronchial swab (TBS) samples to confirm the M. hyopneumoniae infection status of a breeding herd was able to provide additional information to serology in order to make crucial decisions concerning health management and eradication strategies within the breeding herd
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Ct values initially decreased with age, starting at 29 in animals of 18 weeks of age, to 25 in animals of 21 weeks of age; and subsequently increased up to 30 and 33 in animals of 24 and 27 weeks of age, respectively (Fig. 1)
Summary
A dedicated program to monitor for freedom of several economically important diseases is present within most of the breeding companies that currently deliver high health breeding animals to their customers. Collected TBS samples were negative for M. hyopneumoniae until 15 wks of age, but rearing gilts were highly M. hyopneumoniaepositive from 18 wks onwards with 87–100% M. hyopneumoniae-positive animals and PCR Ct-values between 25 and 33. Once infected with M. hyopneumoniae, animals can excrete the pathogen over a long period of time, with total clearance lasting till 254 days post-infection [8]. This implies that infected gilts could carry M. hyopneumoniae well across their first pregnancy into their first lactation cycle, infecting their offspring with M. hyopneumoniae in early life
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