Erysipelas continues to be a cause of economic losses to the pig industry on global basis. The challenges with Erysipelas can “ebb and flow” over time. In Ontario, Erysipelas can contribute to losses at all stages of production and over the last several years there have been some challenges with carcass condemnations due to Erysipelas lesions detected at the processing plant. Maternal immunity is an important component of erysipelas protection in both the breeding herd, in the suckling pigs and in the early postweaning growth period. Maternally Derived Antibodies (MDA) can provide a significant amount of protection to the sows offspring well out into the nursery. We know that the Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacterial populations can increase in the pig’s environment when hygiene is not optimum. During a clinical outbreak of swine erysipelas, Erysipelothrix spp. can be isolated from a variety of environmental samples like manure, feed, nipple drinkers and the walls. Where maternal immunity is low and infectious pressure is high there is the potential for Erysipelas to show up earlier in the pigs life and to be more severe clinically. These Spanish and German researchers wanted to study Erysipelas antibody levels in sows and their offspring by utilizing two types of serological tests. Antibody testing was carried out with the commercial ELISA, Ingenasa or with the rSpaA415 ELISA. The study assessed the response to prefarrowing and post-farrowing vaccination of sows for Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. There were two herds included in the study. One herd was composed of Iberian sows (Farm A) and this herd had a significant amount of outdoor organic production. The second herd was composed of conventional Large White-Landrace (Farm B) sows.
The researchers found the following
- There was a statistical correlation between antibody titers found in sows and their one-week old piglets in both Elisa tests. (Sows with high antibodies were associated with high levels of passively acquired antibody levels in their offspring.)
- In Farm B (but not Farm A), using the commercial elisa, antibody levels were significantly higher when sows were vaccinated pre-farrowing compared to the post-farrowing vaccine protocol (p = 0.0278).
- In Farm B (but not Farm A), using the rSpaA415 ELISA test, the overall mean of (log) antibody titers was significantly higher in pre-farrowing sows (p = 0.0056) compared to sows following post-farrowing vaccine protocol (p = 0.0003) or non- vaccinated sows.
- The overall mean of (log) antibody titers in piglets from the pre-farrowing vaccination protocol was significantly higher than piglets from the post-farrowing vaccination protocol in farm A (p = 0.0059; rSpaA415 ELISA) and farm B (p = 0.0168 and p = 0.0098 for the commercial and rSpaA415 ELISA data, respectively).
- The post-farrowing vaccination protocol exhibited a tendency to increase the risk of the sow becoming seronegative during lactation by four times compared to the pre-farrowing vaccination protocol, as indicated by the Ingenasa ELISA data.
- A higher proportion of piglets from pre-farrowing vaccinated sows remained seropositive during the post-weaning period (days 42 to 84) compared to piglets from non-vaccinated or post-farrowing vaccinated groups in both farms A and B
Take Home Messages:
- It should be said that given the small number of herds involved in the study it would be difficult to extrapolate these results to the wider industry. Having said that, this study provides some significant observations.
- The researchers commented that in Europe the combination Erysipelas / Parvo vaccines (reproductive) are often given during lactation (ie just before breeding) and therefore the piglets do not receive the maximum Maternally Derived Antibodies via colostrum when compared to a pre-farrowing booster. Where the Erysipelas challenge to the young growing pig is great then pre-farrowing vaccine for Erysipelas for the sow should be strongly considered.
- The pig has an amazing immune system. Exposing sows to the agents of disease will help to remind them what they need to include in the passive immune protection that they provide to their offspring. Those antibodies don’t last forever but certainly give the growing pig a good start and provides some coverage while they develop their own active immunity. Sending that immune memo ( vaccination in this case) to the sow pre-farrowing just before she is about to make antibodies for colostrum and lactation will likely provide optimal passive protection to her offspring.
Reference: E Sanchez-Tarifa , C Alonso , I Perez , L A García , A Fernández-Fontelo , O Gómez-Duran , B García-Morante , Francisco A García-Vázquez , I Hernández-Caravaca A field comparison study of two vaccine protocols against Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in two types of swine breeds in Spain BMC Vet Res . 2024 Oct 11;20(1):461. doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04065-0.
