Most Complete Respiratory Vaccine Leads to Superior Pig Health and Performance
US - When it comes to raising pigs, it is important to create a system to produce pigs of uniform size that grow at a similar rate. But, what happens when pigs are showing different feed conversion rates, different signs of disease, and as a result, different rates of growth? Your bottom line starts hurting.
10 October 2016
3 minute read
By: "When developing a management plan to produce uniform pigs, there are often three things that producers and animal health professionals think of: pig comfort, feed conversion, and disease management," says Dr Eduardo Fano, DVM, MS, Ph.D., a swine technical manager with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). Producers know that respiratory diseases can play havoc with growth rates and pig uniformity.
Porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) is a multi-pathogen disease that can cost producers more than $10 per pig.
Protection against the most common PRDC pathogens, including porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) and porcine circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) should be included in a barn’s vaccination protocols.
As the first and only USDA-compliant trivalent vaccine to offer licensed protection against PRRS, PCV2 and Mhp in a single syringe, 3FLEX® from BIVI has been proven safe and effective to use in pigs as young as 3 weeks of age.
BIVI conducted a large-scale field study evaluating pigs vaccinated with 3FLEX® compared to non-vaccinated controls following a challenge with PCV2 and PRRS. The results of the challenge study showed that 3FLEX® provides strong protection against PRRS and PCV2 following disease challenge. In fact, the final body weight of vaccinated pigs was almost 14 pounds more than non-vaccinated controls.
Dr Fano recommends producers use 3FLEX®, which has been shown to provide protection to pigs challenged with PRRS and PCV2 compared to unvaccinated pen mates. A single injection will reduce time and labor required for vaccination, and will also help reduce animal stress as compared to multiple single-antigen vaccines, or two-dose protocols.
"Producers who are vaccinating are making strides in terms of disease management, but often the stress of multiple shots can negate some of the effectiveness of the vaccine," Dr Fano says. "3FLEX® helps mitigate that stress and the economic losses associated with PRDC."
For more information on 3FLEX® and other BIVI swine products, visit http://www.bi-vetmedica.com/species/swine.html.
