Disease is one of the main topics every year at the World Pork Expo, and that?s because pigs are, unfortunately, very susceptible to disease and can spread it very quickly. Two of the most common pathogens, Lawsonia and Salmonella, are not only easy to spread, but they also have even greater effects on pig health when they are present together. Dr. Greg Cline is a senior key account veterinarian for swine at Boehringer Ingelheim. He talked about how Lawsonia and Salmonella interact with each other to negatively impact pig health.
With such common pathogens, you don?t want to wait and have a large number of hogs to treat, which could have major implications for feed efficiency and weight gain. It?s much better to have a plan in place to work on preventing infections in the first place. Fortunately, there are vaccines for both of these diseases, so prevention is a very viable strategy. Dr. Cline talked about the benefits of vaccinating for both diseases, even if you aren?t sure if you have a co-infection situation.
Of course, swine can be pretty difficult when it comes to vaccination, and that problem is exasperated even further by current labor shortages. However, these vaccines actually have a very simple method of administration. Dr. Cline said the vaccines are given to the hogs via the water.
We know that Lawsonia and Salmonella are common, but what exactly do these enteric pathogens do to pigs? Dr. Cline talked about how these diseases impact a pig?s intestinal system.
(Lawsonia)
(Salmonella)
Dr. Cline said that producers should talk with their herd veterinarians to get the ball rolling on vaccinations.
For more information on swine health, visit https://bi-animalhealth.com/swine/.
