0
Reviewing research on piglet vaccination using Circovac®, Dr Thais Vila, Merial Animal Health Swine Technical Director, demonstrated the longer periods of protection, as well as improved growth, better feed conversion ratios (FCR) and reduced mortality provided.
Dr Vila said that piglets vaccinated at three weeks of age, challenged at 17 weeks and monitored up to 21 weeks were protected against PCV2-associated clinical signs and gained on average 2.4 kg more in live weight compared to unvaccinated piglets. This increased level of growth was also seen in an Italian study where piglets vaccinated at three weeks performed better during the 25-220 day Parma ham production period.
As well as improving Average Daily Weight Gain (ADWG), feed conversion ratios are improved by CIRCOVAC. On a Spanish 1200-sow operation, a trial compared 23 batches of fatteners produced before CIRCOVAC piglet vaccination with 21 batches produced afterwards. There was a significant improvement in FCR from 3.13 before to 2.88 afterwards.
Dr Vila presented data compiled from 86 European farms in Spain, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and France, covering a total of 519,530 piglets. On farms where the post-weaning mortality rate was over 4% in control pigs, this was significantly reduced in vaccinated pigs. Even on farms with a post-weaning mortality below 4%, there was still a significant reduction in all but two farms.
Brian Rice, Merial Animal Health Veterinary Adviser, said: “These studies demonstrate that there are significant benefits to be gained by vaccinating piglets with CIRCOVAC and results observed are at least as good as those achieved by other piglet vaccines against PCV2. Reduction in post-weaning mortality, improved average daily weight gains and better feed conversion ratios provide increased profitability. Putting this together with the increase protection demonstrated by these studies, makes CIRCOVAC an excellent investment for piglet vaccination.”
June 12, 2013 - Merial
