One-shot vaccine available against oedema disease
Hysolv Animal Health have launched a one-shot vaccine against oedema disease in piglets and is available in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. A single 1ml dose is injected and immunity lasts for the whole rearing and finishing period.
Oedema is a lethal infectious disease seen in pig production. It primarily occurs in piglets during the first weeks after weaning. It causes serious losses to the pig industry due to a high mortality rate among infected pigs.
The vaccine* induces a high level of immunity against shiga toxin, produced by the E coli bacteria which cause oedema. It has proved highly successful in Germany where it was developed by IDT Biologika. In a comparative study involving 319 pigs no mortality was recorded among the vaccinated group compared with 11.4% in the unvaccinated control group.
Preventative measures in a cost-effective way
“Vaccines* like this can significantly reduce the use of antibiotics in piglet rearing, acting as a preventative measure in a welfare-focussed and cost-effective way. We are advising producers to work closely with their vets on this.” commented Hysolv director Richard Brealey.
German calculation showed a reduction in margin of €83 (£74) per sow or €41,000 (£32,500) for a 500-sow herd. UK farmers will be able to carry out at DIY calculation of their ROI online using their smartphones of by visiting the shiga toxin website.
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