March, 2010

Sow Farm 1

We began using MJPRRS® vaccine on a 3,700 head sow farm that had broken with a 1-?-2 family of PRRS virus (D4). The farm broke in October 2007 and continued to produce PRRS PCR positive weaned pigs through March of 2008 with 15 – 20% wean to finish mortality, despite live virus inoculation and herd closure. At the sow farm in March abortions began to increase and reached a point of 120 – 130 per week before the initial MJPRRS® vaccination was delivered. Week one following MJPRRS® vaccination only 80 additional abortions had occurred. The second week after vaccination saw 40 abortions. The third week saw 15 abortions and the following weeks returned to 2 – 4 abortions. The farm has completed their booster vaccinations and is now using a prefarrowing vaccination program with 1 – 2.5% nursery and 2 – 3% finishing mortality.

Sow Farm 2

We started an MJPRRS® vaccination program in a 7,200 farrow to wean system. The herd had seen a 1-?-2 PRRS (S1) virus in January of 2008 and 15 – 16 weeks following live virus inoculation was producing largely PRRS PCR negative piglets. In late October piglet mortality began to increase and overall piglet quality became poorer on a week by week basis. The herd has completed an MJPRRS® boostering series and started a prefarrow vaccination program. During the 4 to 5 months of whole herd vaccinations, the weekly piglet testing has gone from 100% of the pooled samples being PCR positive to 1 in 30 to 1 in 60 samples positive to PRRS by PCR.

In either sow farm a de-pop/re-pop was quickly approaching and may not have been economically feasible due to losses to that point in time and the poor market conditions in late 2008 – early 2009. If not for MJPRRS® vaccine it is likely that both of these farms would not be producing pigs.

Finishing

Several clients were receiving groups of sporadically PRRS PCR positive piglets from a sow farm in Canada. Most groups of pigs arrived at the nursery in very good health, but in short order (2 – 3 weeks) began showing signs of ill-thrift and mild respiratory disease. Mortality, normally 1 – 2% through the nursery had jumped to 5 – 6% with an additional 3 – 5% of pigs deteriorating shortly following the transition to the finisher. To make matters worse, as the sow farm started their herd closure and elimination of PRRS, there was not much relief as the nursery and finishing animals were housed on the same site.

We vaccinated one group with MJPRRS® in an attempt to salvage as many pigs as possible, not knowing entirely what to expect. To our surprise, the animals from that point forward responded favorably and transitioned to the finisher almost seamlessly. When the next group arrived, we waited approximately one week post-entry and vaccinated the new animals. This group performed well through the nursery and transitioned to the finisher as if they had not seen any virus despite becoming PRRS PCR positive. Since we began this in the spring of 2009, this system has vaccinated nearly 15,000 nursery piglets and cut mortality by more than 3% in each group.

Keith Kinsley, DVM
Swine Health Center
Farwell, Minnesota