SOW MANAGEMENT ▶▶▶
“Triple-action vaccine improves sow welfare”
Combination vaccines are increasingly gaining ground in the international pig business as options and possibilities expand rapidly. Recently, leptospirosis protection was added to an already existing sow vaccine cocktail: one shot to protect them all.
V BY VINCENT TER BEEK, EDITOR, PIG PROGRESS
ery recently, MSD Animal Health launched its vac- cine Porcilis Ery+Parvo+Lepto, the latest addition to the Porcilis range of vaccines. The vaccine, to be ad- ministered to sows and gilts in early gestation, of-
fers simultaneous protection against erysipelas, parvovirus and leptospirosis. For the latter health problem, no prior vaccine ex- isted within the company’s range in the European Union. Most of the research for this vaccine was done in Boxmeer, the Netherlands, explains Dr Ruud Segers, global head of swine biologics R&D. In an interview with Pig Progress, Dr Segers says, “For me personally it is special as I obtained my PhD on a study of leptospirosis. It is joyful to see that all come together now.”
Pig Progress: What does the novel vaccine look like? Dr Ruud Segers: “It is a complex vaccine as it consists of 8 an- tigens. The vaccine consists of three vaccine components, be- ing erysipelas, parvovirus and leptospirosis. ‘Parvo’ and ‘Lepto’
are intended to protect the foetuses. During gestation, parvo- virus and leptospirosis can affect the foetuses, leading to the birth of weaker piglets. The vaccine against erysipelas is intended to protect the sow.”
Why is it essential to have exactly these three vaccines combined? “For convenience reasons: after a basic two-dose vaccination at the first gestation, a swine farmer only has to vaccinate once at the start of every other round of gestation for full pro- tection against parvo and leptospira infections, and with ‘Por- cilis Ery’ at the intermediate gestations. All-in all, it means that producers do not have to bother their sows and gilts as much – and thus it is also more animal friendly.”
A mixture of bacterial and virus vaccines – does that work together? “A part of this vaccine had already been existing longer, in- cluding the ‘Ery’ + ‘Parvo’ parts. So that already was a bacterial and a viral combination. Effectivity has been proven. It’s the adjuvant that makes it all work, one that is safe and efficient.”
Why is it important to have leptospirosis added to the vaccine? “Leptospirosis is an ubiquitous, underdiagnosed and underes- timated zoonotic disease that can result in significant repro- ductive problems in sows. Depending on the time of infection during pregnancy, the clinical symptoms vary from foetal auto lysis or mummification to early abortions, stillbirths and/ or weak piglets. We were able to demonstrate that and also showed that our new vaccine could protect against such re- productive problems related to serovar Pomona infection both in contained studies as well as in a field situation in Portugal. “Furthermore, leptospirosis is caused by multiple Leptospira spe- cies and the new vaccine contains the antigens that cover all of the variants that are considered relevant for swine in the field.”
A sow in group housing in a farm in the Netherlands. 16 ▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 35, No. 6, 2019
Is it MSD’s first triple-action vaccine to hit the market? “That depends how you look at it. We also have an E. coli + Clostridial vaccine, which offers protection against a range of E. coli and Clostridia strains. In fact, the current vaccine con- sists of eight different strains. Each bacterium consists of vari- ous serogroups, and it is known that in Leptospira there is
PHOTO: HENK RISWICK
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