PHOTO: DR SCOTT DEE
PHOTO: DR SCOTT DEE PHOTO: HANS PRINSEN
NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Working on feed biosecurity with the ice block challenge
In the US, nobody needs to be told about the risk of viruses entering a farm through feed. Years of research have proved this for swine producers. But what can be done? Scientists have investigated the effect of additives on mitigating the transmission of viral diseases through feed. “It’s exciting that producers and veterinarians now have options for use in a feed biosecurity programme.”
BY TREENA HEIN, CORRESPONDENT R
esults from a new collaborative study have recently been published in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, in which 15 commercial addi- tives were tested to evaluate their effect on mitigat-
ing Senecavirus A (SVA), Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv) in contaminated feed. A wide range of organic substances were tested, from essential oils and monovalent or multivalent organic acids to short, medium and long-chain fatty acid blends and formaldehyde-based products.
“In 14 of the 15 additives tested, pigs on the supplemented diets had significantly greater average daily weight gain, sig- nificantly lower clinical signs and infection levels, as well as numerically lower mortality rates compared to the control pigs,” says Dr Scott Dee, director of applied research at Pipe- stone Veterinary Services in Pipestone, MN, United States. Dr Dee conducted the study with several colleagues at Pipe- stone, Dr Megan C. Niederwerder at Kansas State University and Dr Aaron Singrey and Dr Eric Nelson at South Dakota State University (Dee is also an adjunct faculty member there). “We concluded that these additives mitigated the effects of the three viruses we investigated in contaminated feed, re- sulting in improved health and performance compared to pigs fed non-mitigated diets,” says Dr Dee. “It’s exciting that producers and veterinarians now have options for use in a feed biosecurity programme. However, it’s important to note that the products tested in this study do not yet have label approval claiming efficacy against viruses. Many companies are collaborating with the FDA to move this forward.” The effects of several of these feed additives in combating Af- rican Swine Fever virus (ASFv) are currently being carried out by Dr Niederwerder at her lab facility, which is certified to handle this virus.
The ice block of viruses and water which will be added to the feed. 36 ▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 36, No. 8, 2020
Image showing ice block in feed (a tip is visible).
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