While Edema (Oedema) disease is a major economic problem in many pig herds, the Shigatoxin-vaccination provides a breakthrough solution. Nevertheless, many farm managers ask themselves: "Is vaccination against Shigatoxin in my farm worth it?"
The answer comes from the COIN calculator which is provided free of charge by Ceva.
COIN is an acronym that stands for “Calculate Online your Individual Netprofit”.
In addition to the psychological pressure from the large number of dead pigs, farms with moderate to severe outbreaks of Edema (Oedema) Disease also experience a financial disaster. The increased mortality rate and decreased growth performance as well as amplified veterinary consultancy and increased treatment with antimicrobials contribute to an in total reduced net profit. Additionally, very often an expensive diet feeding is required.
Though restrictive feeding to avoid the worst, the growth performance of piglets is impacted and the sales weight is decreased. Consequently, the rearing time is prolonged and the feed conversion deteriorates. So even in cases with slightly increased mortality farms suffer from financial cuts.
Since the introduction of the vaccine in 2013, "one herb has grown" against the edema disease. Since then, many veterinarians and producer report the economic benefits and performance improvements due to the Shigatoxin-vaccination. Find their statements below.
If you would like to know whether the investment pays for the vaccination and the economic benefits of the vaccine against the Edema (Oedema) Disease on your farm, you can calculate this in just a few steps with the help of the COIN.
The smartphone-optimized version of the calculator allows you to use the application at any time
»The overall picture showed, it makes good business sense to invest in the one-off cost of the vaccine.«
Read more statements from all over Europe
»In fact, from 14 % mortality due to Edema Disease everything returned to normal with around 4 % mortality in that same period from weaning to slaughter.«
»When we got the figures on the improvement in feed efficiency, we were all very impressed.«
»I can recommend Ecoporc Shiga unreservedly to any farm with an Edema Disease problem.«
»The positive economic impact and the improvement in swine health convinced us. We will definitely continue to vaccinate on this farm.«
»When the vaccinated pigs entered the system, the first batches passed the risk period with much lower mortality. Our client considered the vaccine highly effective.«
»We improved the performance on the farms of our customers and also reduced the use of zinc oxide and colistin.«
»The overall health status of my farm has improved since the introduction of Ecoporc Shiga vaccination«
»Besides bringing peace of mind, Ecoporc Shiga vaccination has enabled us to achieve our technical and economic objectives.«
»Edema Disease – this vaccination is a definite investment in health.«
»We calculated that, in only half a year of vaccination, one extra full truck of fatteners can be sold to the slaughterhouse.«
When did you first vaccinate?
We started in the middle of 2016.
What motivated you to start?
We started because, in recent cycles, we had experienced several losses on weaning and early fatteners due to Edema Disease, which had appeared repeatedly over the years.
What were the measures before this to control Edema Disease?
Before vaccination, the problem was resolved with colistin, as soon as the first symptoms appeared.
Did you see improvement with mortality, performance parameters, runts...?
After that, we had no more cases of high mortality due to Edema Disease. But above all we have greatly improved the feed efficiency, which had always been low, even in the groups of weaned pigs with no evident clinical manifestations, i.e. those with subclinical disease.
Did you see a reduction of single animal antibiotic treatment – resulting in less work?
We have done away with mass medication, reducing the use of antibiotics. Injectable medications have remained around the same.
Do you now experience less work in respect to the daily workload on supervision of the pens?
Although dealing with individuals continues due to other concomitant health problems, the time dedicated to coping with Edema Disease has been reduced.
Did you see a reduction in antibiotic use and/or ZnO use?
Yes, a reduction in colistin.
Can you tell us your impressions regarding economic sustainability and the Return On Investment?
I believe that, in our case, our greatest profit has been the better food conversion ratio, I‘m pleased to say.
What was the psychological effect on the owner/farm staff – before and after introducing vaccination?
When we got the figures on the improvement in feed efficiency, we were all very impressed.
What was your original situation?
Our closed herd farm with 300 sows is located in the Spanish province of Segovia. We had around 3-4 % overall losses from weaning to slaughter. In August 2013, we suddenly saw pigs with a body weight of 35-40 kg showing the typical symptoms of Edema Disease which caused mortality to increase to 14 %.
What was your reason for getting in contact with IDT Biologika?
After trying several treatments without any success, I contacted IDT Biologika for help.
The diagnosis was clear but the reaction to the treatments was zero.
What action was then taken?
After asking many specialists in the pork industry regarding the Ecoporc Shiga vaccination but without getting any answers, we decided to take samples from affected animals under the guidance of an IDT technician and send these samples to the IDT laboratory in Germany.
The result was that the animals were positive for Shigatoxin. We immediately decided to start vaccinating the animals without any additional action.
What were the results?
The results we obtained at this farm after vaccinating the sows were excellent. In fact, from 14 % mortality due to Edema Disease everything returned to normal with around 4 % mortality in that same period from weaning to slaughter.
What would you recommend to other veterinarians with similar problems?
My recommendation is very clear as the result of vaccinating was so good. In fact, I have already recommended vaccination to colleagues of mine. The service rendered by IDT was evaluated as satisfactory.
When farmer John Neuman opened the door to his barn in the morning, it used to be with the fear in the back of his mind that a bunch of dead pigs would be lying in the pens again, dead from Edema Disease during the night.
The disease appeared overnight, and Neuman and his staff at the pig farm in Haderslev regularly witnessed healthy pigs suddenly dropping dead without the staff being able to do anything.
“We tried everything to control the disease: a lean diet, zinc oxide in the feed and various antibiotics, but no matter how much we tried, we experienced five to six percent mortality in the nursery.”
“The disease typically appeared two to three weeks post weaning and all of a sudden we could have 50 dead pigs,” the farmer tells. “Today the situation is completely different.” After struggling in vain against Edema Disease for many years, earlier this year Neuman tried vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga against Shigatoxin, the causative agent of the disease.
My recommendation is very clear as the result of vaccinating was so good. In fact, I have already recommended vaccination to colleagues of mine. The service rendered by IDT was evaluated as satisfactory.
“Despite the price, our vet suggested this vaccination because she simply had no other advice. We had tried everything. And we actually told her, either you find something that works or we will use another veterinary practice.”
After initiating vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga, Neuman no longer experienced disease due to Shigatoxin in his herd. Now that he has an effective vaccine,he no longer needs to experiment with treatments. Neuman’s farm in Haderslev produces 31,000 pigs for sale each year, so a mortality rate of five to six percent due to Shigatoxin is significant.
“We started vaccinating all pigs with 1 ml at 5-6 days old. When we got the first batch of pigs into the nursery, it was like entering a new barn! In the first batch we didn’t dare to remove the lean diet, but we did so in the second. We increased to 550 grams of daily weight gain and reduced mortality to 0.8-1.0 percent which was a great beneficial improvement for us,” says Neuman.
“We did a thorough cost-benefit analysis on the effect of the vaccine. We looked at all the previous additional costs, from zinc supplementation to extra staff hours, disinfection procedures and additional treatments, which did not help, and compared these costs to the cost of the vaccine. The overall picture showed, it makes good business sense to invest in the one-off cost of the vaccine”, says Neuman. “In our case Ecoporc Shiga has eliminated Edema Disease and we still use the same veterinary practice.”
“We diagnosed Shigatoxin on the farm, but at first the farmer was not keen to start vaccination.
So first we converted the diet from performanceoriented feeding to a dietetic feed. And we used zinc oxide. However, neither measure produced the desired success.
Antibiotic treatment of animals already with the disease was ineffective. The antibiotic didn’t work because treatment came too late in this case.
After many unsuccessful attempts, the psychological strain on the farm manager and the staff was enormous.
For that reason, we decided jointly to start vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga. Previous experience in other herds was generally positive and helped to convince the manager of the herd described here.
The first vaccinated batch has already shown significantly lower antibiotic use and better daily gains. The overall picture in the barn has also improved as a result.
The viability of vaccination is therefore beyond question. The reduced losses, reduced antibiotic use and lower number of days in rearing, due to better daily gains, deliver a high ROI for vaccination.
Ecoporc Shiga is very effective. However, poor farming conditions and low hygiene standards cannot be compensated for by vaccination, so they also need to be improved.”
Despite extensive use of antimicrobials as part of metaphylactic treatment in the nursery starting phase, there was a high mortality rate. The farm has a high hygiene status. Therefore the origins of the acute health problem seemed to be complex.
In collaboration with the Technical Service Manager of IDT Biologika, samples were taken. These were analysed in the laboratory and Shigatoxin was detected. After that it was decided that the piglets would be vaccinated.
Efficacy of vaccination:
To the farmer’s surprise, the efficacy of vaccination quickly became apparent. Mortality due to Edema Disease stopped completely, so vaccination solved a major problem.
These are the advantages of vaccination for the farm:
• Mortality in the nursery due to Edema Disease has disappeared.
• Work in the nursery has become smoother and easier. The farmer is relaxed and doesn‘t need to worry about new outbreaks with increases in mortality.
Vaccination has also been economically viable:
• No more metaphylactic treatment is needed. The overall use of antimicrobials has been reduced. This is important in the context of German official monitoring aimed at reducing antimicrobial use.
• Since the introduction of vaccination, the performance parameters on the farm have improved continuously.
A 730-sow herd in the north of England was weaning around 29 piglets per sow per year when the problem struck. Monthly postweaning mortality began creeping up and peaked at 15 % in March 2016.
When the losses started
Paul Thompson of Garth Pig Practice, the farm´s veterinary surgeon, said: “Sick pigs were wobbly or recumbent and fitting with puffy eyelids. This tended to occur about three weeks after weaning, in a relatively narrow window”.
Bowel oedema was diagnosed through post-mortem examination. Some of the swab samples which were submitted to laboratory testing were typed as positive for E. coli virulence factors Shigatoxin and F18. Initially, treatment was through antibiotics, including colistin – not under restriction at the time – neomycin and florfenicol, mostly orally.
“No significant response was seen despite water-flow rate, feed regimes and hygiene being considered satisfactory,” Mr Thompson explained.
The results
All pigs were vaccinated with Ecoporc Shiga at four days of age, but some older pigs had, initially, to be vaccinated to reduce the time-span for the vaccine to impact. “When the vaccinated pigs entered the system, the first batches passed the risk period with much lower mortality,” said Mr Thompson.
Economic gain
Economic analysis for the three months after vaccination showed average post-weaning mortality fell to 2.5 % (-4.4 %), allowing an 108 extra pigs per month to be produced.
The value of these pigs, at 25.8 kg, was put at £ 5.61 (EUR 6.46). Reduced medication cost and improvement of growth rate (373 g to 409 g) per day in nursery contributed to the net profit as well.
Conclusion
“Oedema is now a re-emerging problem across Europe,” Mr Thompson points out. “The causes for this reermergence are not clearly understood. Not all cases present the classical oedema of the bowel symptoms. Proving the presence of the causative agent can require multiple samples. Vaccination is certainly preferable to using medication as a control. Our client considered the vaccine highly effective.”
Since when do you have experience with the vaccine Ecoporc Shiga?
I tried the vaccine on several farms since last year.
Why did you start?
We started because we saw typical problems with Edema Disease. We tried to make a diagnosis with STEC check supported by IDT. But we weren´t able to confirm the presence of Shigatoxin in all cases, although the symptoms were clear.
We assume it might have something to do with the use of zinc oxide. But even in those cases where we had no confirmation by lab investigation, while the symptoms were clear, we had very good results after we vaccinated with Ecoporc Shiga.
We improved the performance on the farms of our customers and also reduced the use of zinc oxide and colistin.
What were the measures before to control ED?
We used colistin and zinc oxide to control the disease, but apparently it was not that effective.
Did you see improvement with mortality, performance parameters, runts ...?
Yes we did! The difference was really impressive. Pigs in nursery were much more uniform and simply performed much better. The farmer was very satisfied.
Did you see a reduction in antibiotic use and/or ZnO use?
Yes we did. Colistin and zinc oxide were no longer necessary at all.
Can you explain about your impression on economic sustainability and the Return On Investment?
It is clear for us that in typical cases like these, the vaccine pays off.
Did you experience less work now in respect to the daily workload on supervision of the pens?
Yes, it is easier for the farmer now. And for the vet, too! We can concentrate on other issues now that we have tackled this problem.
How was the psychological effect on the owner /farm staff – before and after introduction of the vaccination?
We can really see an immediate difference, just by looking at the pigs. That is quite unique for a piglet vaccine. It makes the farmer less concerned. Before vaccination the farmer never knew how many dead piglets to expect after entering the barn. He feels safe now and can enjoy farming!
Jean Jacques Breton manages a 420-sow breeder/fattener farm in Brittany. In early July 2014, abnormal mortality (5 %) occurred in fattening around 35-40 kg. Investigations by the farm’s veterinarian, Dr Danièle Autret, pointed to Edema Disease.
Post mortem findings combined with bacteriology confirmed the presence of serotype O139 K82 associated with the STEC pathotype (Shigatoxin-producing E. coli ). Injectable antibiotic treatment was then introduced in addition to a safety feed.
“How many deaths will I have today?“
“Despite close monitoring and the use of antibiotics claimed to be effective (at a cost of 0.3 € / piglet) plus the introduction of a safety feed (cost 0.20 € / piglet), I wondered every day how many deaths I was going to have. With my veterinarian, we decided to implement Ecoporc Shiga vaccination from the end of July,“ says Jean Jacques Breton. “The first batch was vaccinated at 35 days old because the onset of immunity (21 days) allowed us to protect this batch due to the late occurrence of the disease on this farm,“ says Dr Danièle Autret.“ And no deaths were recorded in this batch,“ adds Jean Jacques Breton. “Since I vaccinate, the overall health status has increased and performance in the herd has improved.“
Reduced mortality and treatment costs combined with higher daily weight gains lead to a net gain of around 5 € per piglet (carcass price of 1.55 €).
Dedée and Michel Auffret manage a closed herd farm of 140 sows in the heart of Finistère, Brittany, and are several-time recipients of the Cochons d‘Or award. Their guiding principle is to keep loss rates from birth to abattoir below 10 %, the average in Brittany being around 25 %. The table below shows that they achieved this target until 2014, the year when their Shigatoxin troubles started. In 2015, thanks to Ecoporc Shiga vaccination, the rate was actually reduced to 8.5 %!
“For several months, we and our vet had observed a slight increase in losses. First, we tried to control them using medication (antibiotics in the feed and via dosing pump). We also supplemented the feed with kaolin, partly to influence the feed intake, and partly to encourage the pigs to drink the medicated water.
Finally, close monitoring was necessary and antibiotic injections were given in suspect cases.“
“How many deaths today?”
“Despite these measures, we couldn’t regain our previous performance, either in terms of losses or growth, which declined as inhomogeneity increased.“
Dedée even confirms: “The question I asked myself every day when I entered my farm was: how many deaths will I have today?” Michel, who handles the fatteners, adds: “The quality of the batches of piglets I received was no longer good and the management of feeding at the beginning of fattening became very complicated.“
“In December 2014, a STEC Check diagnosis was carried out by our vet and confirmed the presence of Shigatoxin. Then we started vaccination.“
The results
“The effect of vaccination was visible immediately: no more losses, no more injections needed, no more need for the dosing pump. I‘m saving time and I don’t have any more stress“, Dedée tells us. Michel, for his part, reveals: “I also notice that mortality rate in the fattening unit has decreased. For me this is proof that Shigatoxin was also impacting the fattening.“
Economic gain
“Vaccination is a profitable investment for us because of:
Decrease of mortality rate: 2.5 %
Increase in DWG in nursery: + 50 g/day
Decrease in AB use and costs: - 0.55 €/piglet
The return on investment (ROI) is therefore more than 1 € per piglet, or 30 € per sow per year.“
“To this economic gain, we must of course add an aspect that you can’t put a figure on: peace of mind.“
Marek Walachowski and Miroslaw Betka have been working together since 2007. Marek is a vet consultant on farms with a total of 2,200 sows while Miroslaw is a production manager. These 2,200 sows are divided between five farms with 320 to 600 sows each. Problems with colibacillosis have appeared periodically but with non-specific symptoms and were considered alternately food- and management depended. Antibiotic therapy (enrofloxacin injection) against colibacillosis was established as a routine treatment of every batch of weaned pigs. Laboratory investigations by PCR have finally confirmed the occurrence of Stx2e producing E. coli.
Could you please describe your experience with Ecoporc Shiga vaccination on the farms?
Marek:
As already mentioned, these 2,000
sows are located on five separate
farms with 320 to 600 sows each.
On three of these five farms we
observed incidences of sudden
death due to colibacillosis. The final
confirmation of Stx2e etiology was
provided by PCR method.
I had heard about the vaccine Ecoporc Shiga from launch activities on the Polish market. However, the high price of one dose made it difficult at first to recommend the vaccination to the swine producer.
Miroslaw:
Every week on these farms around
220 to 360 piglets were weaned.
Mortality was not very high (3.5 %),
but the subclinical influence of
Shigatoxin on approximately 20 % of
the pigs resulted in poor condition
and a higher rate of alimentary and
respiratory coinfections. Moreover,
conversion rate, weight gain and
batch uniformity were unsatisfactory.
We started antimicrobial treatment using injectable enrofloxacin, sometimes amoxicillin and ZnO (300 ppm) during a two-week period after weaning. The efficacy of treatment was temporary because we were able to delay the problem, but not to solve it. Edema Disease started to appear in older groups of weaned animals.
Marek:
That was the moment to introduce
the vaccination against Edema
Disease under the present field
conditions.
Initially we started piglet vaccination
with Ecoporc Shiga on the 600-sow
farm. We vaccinated five consecutive
batches at five days old in combination
with animal health measures
such as iron dextran injections and
teeth clipping.
At the same time we stopped enrofloxacin treatment but continued feeding ZnO because the feed provided by the feedmill already contained ZnO.
Miroslaw:
After one year and encouraged by
good results on the 600-sow farm,
we decided to introduce vaccination
with Ecoporc Shiga on another two
farms showing similar clinical signs
to the first one.
Which improvement criteria did you observe after implementing vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga?
Marek:
First of all we observed a decrease
in cases of Edema Disease from
3.5 % down to 1.0 % in weaned pigs.
This was the most visible effect.
Additionally, during the weaning period, the animals in each batch started to grow more uniformly and were definitely less susceptible to re-emerging diseases (alimentary and respiratory). We decreased the individual treatment with injectable antibiotics from 100 % to 15 %.
Miroslaw:
About 15-17 % of the weaners previously
showed poor performance
in the nursery period. After introducing
the vaccination, this problem
was resolved in 95 % of the cases.
We are also obtaining a better body
weight on entry to the fattening
units, on average 800 g/pig higher
than before vaccination. In the
beginning it seemed that vaccination
was a cost factor only.
But now vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga has paid off as a worthwhile investment and its efficacy looks spectacular.
How long is your experience with the vaccination of Ecoporc Shiga?
I tried the vaccine on a farm over a year ago and the farm is still vaccinating.
Why did you start?
We started because we saw typical problems with Edema Disease and the farm had to use too much medication, especially colistin.
We mostly saw sudden deaths in weaned piglets, but also in the early finishing period. Besides this, the pigs were not as uniform as we wanted.
What measures had been used before to control Edema Disease?
We used colistin and zinc oxid to control the disease, but it was not as effective as we would have liked and besides that we needed to reduce the antibiotic use.
Did you see any improvement in mortality, performance parameters, runts, etc.?
Yes we did! In the graph you can see that mortality was clearly reduced. The arrow indicates the start of vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga.
Before vaccination, the average mortality from weaning to slaughter was 7.8 %. In the vaccinated pigs, mortality from weaning to slaughter was reduced to 1.8 %. So the farm is performing really well now. At another location, mortality in the early finishing period was reduced by around 1 %.
Did you see a reduction in antibiotic use and/or ZnO use?
Yes we did. Colistin is no longer necessary, it was completely eliminated. Zinc oxid was not needed any more either. We are happy about that.
Although there are still some problems with Streptococcus suis, for which we need to use antibiotics.
Does vaccinating mean increase of workload?
Vaccination does not require more work as it is combined with the iron injection on day 4.
Can you describe your impressions regarding economic sustainability and the Return on Investment?
In general, farmers perceive an extra piglet vaccination as expensive. In very clear-cut cases such as this, there is no doubt about the Return on Investment.
We calculated that, in only half a year of vaccination, one extra full truck of fatteners can be sold to the slaughterhouse. For the fattening unit it is harder to calculate on ROI. We saw a reduction in mortality but the problem was not as big in this case, although the average daily gain was higher in the vaccinated animals. So we are starting to realise that there is more to Edema Disease than mortality.
What was the psychological effect on the owner/farm staff – before and after the introduction of vaccination?
The farmer can concentrate on improving his business and is not “disturbed” by bursts of mortality any more. Not to mention the vet who is not called in for diagnosis or treatment every time animals die!
»The overall picture showed, it makes good business sense to invest in the one-off cost of the vaccine.«
»The positive economic impact and the improvement in swine health convinced us. We will definitely continue to vaccinate on this farm.«
»We improved the performance on the farms of our customers and also reduced the use of zinc oxide and colistin.«
»I can recommend Ecoporc Shiga unreservedly to any farm with an Edema Disease problem.«
»The overall health status of my farm has improved since the introduction of Ecoporc Shiga vaccination«
»We calculated that, in only half a year of vaccination, one extra full truck of fatteners can be sold to the slaughterhouse.«
»Ødemsyge – denne vaccination er en helt klar investering i sundhed.«
»In fact, from 14 % mortality due to Edema Disease everything returned to normal with around 4 % mortality in that same period from weaning to slaughter.«
»Besides bringing peace of mind, Ecoporc Shiga vaccination has enabled us to achieve our technical and economic objectives.«
»When we got the figures on the improvement in feed efficiency, we were all very impressed.«
»When the vaccinated pigs entered the system, the first batches passed the risk period with much lower mortality. Our client considered the vaccine highly effective.«
When did you first vaccinate?
We started in the middle of 2016.
What motivated you to start?
We started because, in recent cycles, we had experienced several losses on weaning and early fatteners due to Edema Disease, which had appeared repeatedly over the years.
What were the measures before this to control Edema Disease?
Before vaccination, the problem was resolved with colistin, as soon as the first symptoms appeared.
Did you see improvement with mortality, performance parameters, runts...?
After that, we had no more cases of high mortality due to Edema Disease. But above all we have greatly improved the feed efficiency, which had always been low, even in the groups of weaned pigs with no evident clinical manifestations, i.e. those with subclinical disease.
Did you see a reduction of single animal antibiotic treatment – resulting in less work?
We have done away with mass medication, reducing the use of antibiotics. Injectable medications have remained around the same.
Do you now experience less work in respect to the daily workload on supervision of the pens?
Although dealing with individuals continues due to other concomitant health problems, the time dedicated to coping with Edema Disease has been reduced.
Did you see a reduction in antibiotic use and/or ZnO use?
Yes, a reduction in colistin.
Can you tell us your impressions regarding economic sustainability and the Return On Investment?
I believe that, in our case, our greatest profit has been the better food conversion ratio, I‘m pleased to say.
What was the psychological effect on the owner/farm staff – before and after introducing vaccination?
When we got the figures on the improvement in feed efficiency, we were all very impressed.
What was your original situation?
Our closed herd farm with 300 sows is located in the Spanish province of Segovia. We had around 3-4 % overall losses from weaning to slaughter. In August 2013, we suddenly saw pigs with a body weight of 35-40 kg showing the typical symptoms of Edema Disease which caused mortality to increase to 14 %.
What was your reason for getting in contact with IDT Biologika?
After trying several treatments without any success, I contacted IDT Biologika for help.
The diagnosis was clear but the reaction to the treatments was zero.
What action was then taken?
After asking many specialists in the pork industry regarding the Ecoporc Shiga vaccination but without getting any answers, we decided to take samples from affected animals under the guidance of an IDT technician and send these samples to the IDT laboratory in Germany.
The result was that the animals were positive for Shigatoxin. We immediately decided to start vaccinating the animals without any additional action.
What were the results?
The results we obtained at this farm after vaccinating the sows were excellent. In fact, from 14 % mortality due to Edema Disease everything returned to normal with around 4 % mortality in that same period from weaning to slaughter.
What would you recommend to other veterinarians with similar problems?
My recommendation is very clear as the result of vaccinating was so good. In fact, I have already recommended vaccination to colleagues of mine. The service rendered by IDT was evaluated as satisfactory.
When farmer John Neuman opened the door to his barn in the morning, it used to be with the fear in the back of his mind that a bunch of dead pigs would be lying in the pens again, dead from Edema Disease during the night.
The disease appeared overnight, and Neuman and his staff at the pig farm in Haderslev regularly witnessed healthy pigs suddenly dropping dead without the staff being able to do anything.
“We tried everything to control the disease: a lean diet, zinc oxide in the feed and various antibiotics, but no matter how much we tried, we experienced five to six percent mortality in the nursery.”
“The disease typically appeared two to three weeks post weaning and all of a sudden we could have 50 dead pigs,” the farmer tells. “Today the situation is completely different.” After struggling in vain against Edema Disease for many years, earlier this year Neuman tried vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga against Shigatoxin, the causative agent of the disease.
My recommendation is very clear as the result of vaccinating was so good. In fact, I have already recommended vaccination to colleagues of mine. The service rendered by IDT was evaluated as satisfactory.
“Despite the price, our vet suggested this vaccination because she simply had no other advice. We had tried everything. And we actually told her, either you find something that works or we will use another veterinary practice.”
After initiating vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga, Neuman no longer experienced disease due to Shigatoxin in his herd. Now that he has an effective vaccine,he no longer needs to experiment with treatments. Neuman’s farm in Haderslev produces 31,000 pigs for sale each year, so a mortality rate of five to six percent due to Shigatoxin is significant.
“We started vaccinating all pigs with 1 ml at 5-6 days old. When we got the first batch of pigs into the nursery, it was like entering a new barn! In the first batch we didn’t dare to remove the lean diet, but we did so in the second. We increased to 550 grams of daily weight gain and reduced mortality to 0.8-1.0 percent which was a great beneficial improvement for us,” says Neuman.
“We did a thorough cost-benefit analysis on the effect of the vaccine. We looked at all the previous additional costs, from zinc supplementation to extra staff hours, disinfection procedures and additional treatments, which did not help, and compared these costs to the cost of the vaccine. The overall picture showed, it makes good business sense to invest in the one-off cost of the vaccine”, says Neuman. “In our case Ecoporc Shiga has eliminated Edema Disease and we still use the same veterinary practice.”
“We diagnosed Shigatoxin on the farm, but at first the farmer was not keen to start vaccination.
So first we converted the diet from performanceoriented feeding to a dietetic feed. And we used zinc oxide. However, neither measure produced the desired success.
Antibiotic treatment of animals already with the disease was ineffective. The antibiotic didn’t work because treatment came too late in this case.
After many unsuccessful attempts, the psychological strain on the farm manager and the staff was enormous.
For that reason, we decided jointly to start vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga. Previous experience in other herds was generally positive and helped to convince the manager of the herd described here.
The first vaccinated batch has already shown significantly lower antibiotic use and better daily gains. The overall picture in the barn has also improved as a result.
The viability of vaccination is therefore beyond question. The reduced losses, reduced antibiotic use and lower number of days in rearing, due to better daily gains, deliver a high ROI for vaccination.
Ecoporc Shiga is very effective. However, poor farming conditions and low hygiene standards cannot be compensated for by vaccination, so they also need to be improved.”
Despite extensive use of antimicrobials as part of metaphylactic treatment in the nursery starting phase, there was a high mortality rate. The farm has a high hygiene status. Therefore the origins of the acute health problem seemed to be complex.
In collaboration with the Technical Service Manager of IDT Biologika, samples were taken. These were analysed in the laboratory and Shigatoxin was detected. After that it was decided that the piglets would be vaccinated.
Efficacy of vaccination:
To the farmer’s surprise, the efficacy of vaccination quickly became apparent. Mortality due to Edema Disease stopped completely, so vaccination solved a major problem.
These are the advantages of vaccination for the farm:
• Mortality in the nursery due to Edema Disease has disappeared.
• Work in the nursery has become smoother and easier. The farmer is relaxed and doesn‘t need to worry about new outbreaks with increases in mortality.
Vaccination has also been economically viable:
• No more metaphylactic treatment is needed. The overall use of antimicrobials has been reduced. This is important in the context of German official monitoring aimed at reducing antimicrobial use.
• Since the introduction of vaccination, the performance parameters on the farm have improved continuously.
A 730-sow herd in the north of England was weaning around 29 piglets per sow per year when the problem struck. Monthly postweaning mortality began creeping up and peaked at 15 % in March 2016.
When the losses started
Paul Thompson of Garth Pig Practice, the farm´s veterinary surgeon, said: “Sick pigs were wobbly or recumbent and fitting with puffy eyelids. This tended to occur about three weeks after weaning, in a relatively narrow window”.
Bowel oedema was diagnosed through post-mortem examination. Some of the swab samples which were submitted to laboratory testing were typed as positive for E. coli virulence factors Shigatoxin and F18. Initially, treatment was through antibiotics, including colistin – not under restriction at the time – neomycin and florfenicol, mostly orally.
“No significant response was seen despite water-flow rate, feed regimes and hygiene being considered satisfactory,” Mr Thompson explained.
The results
All pigs were vaccinated with Ecoporc Shiga at four days of age, but some older pigs had, initially, to be vaccinated to reduce the time-span for the vaccine to impact. “When the vaccinated pigs entered the system, the first batches passed the risk period with much lower mortality,” said Mr Thompson.
Economic gain
Economic analysis for the three months after vaccination showed average post-weaning mortality fell to 2.5 % (-4.4 %), allowing an 108 extra pigs per month to be produced.
The value of these pigs, at 25.8 kg, was put at £ 5.61 (EUR 6.46). Reduced medication cost and improvement of growth rate (373 g to 409 g) per day in nursery contributed to the net profit as well.
Conclusion
“Oedema is now a re-emerging problem across Europe,” Mr Thompson points out. “The causes for this reermergence are not clearly understood. Not all cases present the classical oedema of the bowel symptoms. Proving the presence of the causative agent can require multiple samples. Vaccination is certainly preferable to using medication as a control. Our client considered the vaccine highly effective.”
Since when do you have experience with the vaccine Ecoporc Shiga?
I tried the vaccine on several farms since last year.
Why did you start?
We started because we saw typical problems with Edema Disease. We tried to make a diagnosis with STEC check supported by IDT. But we weren´t able to confirm the presence of Shigatoxin in all cases, although the symptoms were clear.
We assume it might have something to do with the use of zinc oxide. But even in those cases where we had no confirmation by lab investigation, while the symptoms were clear, we had very good results after we vaccinated with Ecoporc Shiga.
We improved the performance on the farms of our customers and also reduced the use of zinc oxide and colistin.
What were the measures before to control ED?
We used colistin and zinc oxide to control the disease, but apparently it was not that effective.
Did you see improvement with mortality, performance parameters, runts ...?
Yes we did! The difference was really impressive. Pigs in nursery were much more uniform and simply performed much better. The farmer was very satisfied.
Did you see a reduction in antibiotic use and/or ZnO use?
Yes we did. Colistin and zinc oxide were no longer necessary at all.
Can you explain about your impression on economic sustainability and the Return On Investment?
It is clear for us that in typical cases like these, the vaccine pays off.
Did you experience less work now in respect to the daily workload on supervision of the pens?
Yes, it is easier for the farmer now. And for the vet, too! We can concentrate on other issues now that we have tackled this problem.
How was the psychological effect on the owner /farm staff – before and after introduction of the vaccination?
We can really see an immediate difference, just by looking at the pigs. That is quite unique for a piglet vaccine. It makes the farmer less concerned. Before vaccination the farmer never knew how many dead piglets to expect after entering the barn. He feels safe now and can enjoy farming!
Jean Jacques Breton manages a 420-sow breeder/fattener farm in Brittany. In early July 2014, abnormal mortality (5 %) occurred in fattening around 35-40 kg. Investigations by the farm’s veterinarian, Dr Danièle Autret, pointed to Edema Disease.
Post mortem findings combined with bacteriology confirmed the presence of serotype O139 K82 associated with the STEC pathotype (Shigatoxin-producing E. coli ). Injectable antibiotic treatment was then introduced in addition to a safety feed.
“How many deaths will I have today?“
“Despite close monitoring and the use of antibiotics claimed to be effective (at a cost of 0.3 € / piglet) plus the introduction of a safety feed (cost 0.20 € / piglet), I wondered every day how many deaths I was going to have. With my veterinarian, we decided to implement Ecoporc Shiga vaccination from the end of July,“ says Jean Jacques Breton. “The first batch was vaccinated at 35 days old because the onset of immunity (21 days) allowed us to protect this batch due to the late occurrence of the disease on this farm,“ says Dr Danièle Autret.“ And no deaths were recorded in this batch,“ adds Jean Jacques Breton. “Since I vaccinate, the overall health status has increased and performance in the herd has improved.“
Reduced mortality and treatment costs combined with higher daily weight gains lead to a net gain of around 5 € per piglet (carcass price of 1.55 €).
Dedée and Michel Auffret manage a closed herd farm of 140 sows in the heart of Finistère, Brittany, and are several-time recipients of the Cochons d‘Or award. Their guiding principle is to keep loss rates from birth to abattoir below 10 %, the average in Brittany being around 25 %. The table below shows that they achieved this target until 2014, the year when their Shigatoxin troubles started. In 2015, thanks to Ecoporc Shiga vaccination, the rate was actually reduced to 8.5 %!
“For several months, we and our vet had observed a slight increase in losses. First, we tried to control them using medication (antibiotics in the feed and via dosing pump). We also supplemented the feed with kaolin, partly to influence the feed intake, and partly to encourage the pigs to drink the medicated water.
Finally, close monitoring was necessary and antibiotic injections were given in suspect cases.“
“How many deaths today?”
“Despite these measures, we couldn’t regain our previous performance, either in terms of losses or growth, which declined as inhomogeneity increased.“
Dedée even confirms: “The question I asked myself every day when I entered my farm was: how many deaths will I have today?” Michel, who handles the fatteners, adds: “The quality of the batches of piglets I received was no longer good and the management of feeding at the beginning of fattening became very complicated.“
“In December 2014, a STEC Check diagnosis was carried out by our vet and confirmed the presence of Shigatoxin. Then we started vaccination.“
The results
“The effect of vaccination was visible immediately: no more losses, no more injections needed, no more need for the dosing pump. I‘m saving time and I don’t have any more stress“, Dedée tells us. Michel, for his part, reveals: “I also notice that mortality rate in the fattening unit has decreased. For me this is proof that Shigatoxin was also impacting the fattening.“
Economic gain
“Vaccination is a profitable investment for us because of:
Decrease of mortality rate: 2.5 %
Increase in DWG in nursery: + 50 g/day
Decrease in AB use and costs: - 0.55 €/piglet
The return on investment (ROI) is therefore more than 1 € per piglet, or 30 € per sow per year.“
“To this economic gain, we must of course add an aspect that you can’t put a figure on: peace of mind.“
Marek Walachowski and Miroslaw Betka have been working together since 2007. Marek is a vet consultant on farms with a total of 2,200 sows while Miroslaw is a production manager. These 2,200 sows are divided between five farms with 320 to 600 sows each. Problems with colibacillosis have appeared periodically but with non-specific symptoms and were considered alternately food- and management depended. Antibiotic therapy (enrofloxacin injection) against colibacillosis was established as a routine treatment of every batch of weaned pigs. Laboratory investigations by PCR have finally confirmed the occurrence of Stx2e producing E. coli.
Could you please describe your experience with Ecoporc Shiga vaccination on the farms?
Marek:
As already mentioned, these 2,000
sows are located on five separate
farms with 320 to 600 sows each.
On three of these five farms we
observed incidences of sudden
death due to colibacillosis. The final
confirmation of Stx2e etiology was
provided by PCR method.
I had heard about the vaccine Ecoporc Shiga from launch activities on the Polish market. However, the high price of one dose made it difficult at first to recommend the vaccination to the swine producer.
Miroslaw:
Every week on these farms around
220 to 360 piglets were weaned.
Mortality was not very high (3.5 %),
but the subclinical influence of
Shigatoxin on approximately 20 % of
the pigs resulted in poor condition
and a higher rate of alimentary and
respiratory coinfections. Moreover,
conversion rate, weight gain and
batch uniformity were unsatisfactory.
We started antimicrobial treatment using injectable enrofloxacin, sometimes amoxicillin and ZnO (300 ppm) during a two-week period after weaning. The efficacy of treatment was temporary because we were able to delay the problem, but not to solve it. Edema Disease started to appear in older groups of weaned animals.
Marek:
That was the moment to introduce
the vaccination against Edema
Disease under the present field
conditions.
Initially we started piglet vaccination
with Ecoporc Shiga on the 600-sow
farm. We vaccinated five consecutive
batches at five days old in combination
with animal health measures
such as iron dextran injections and
teeth clipping.
At the same time we stopped enrofloxacin treatment but continued feeding ZnO because the feed provided by the feedmill already contained ZnO.
Miroslaw:
After one year and encouraged by
good results on the 600-sow farm,
we decided to introduce vaccination
with Ecoporc Shiga on another two
farms showing similar clinical signs
to the first one.
Which improvement criteria did you observe after implementing vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga?
Marek:
First of all we observed a decrease
in cases of Edema Disease from
3.5 % down to 1.0 % in weaned pigs.
This was the most visible effect.
Additionally, during the weaning period, the animals in each batch started to grow more uniformly and were definitely less susceptible to re-emerging diseases (alimentary and respiratory). We decreased the individual treatment with injectable antibiotics from 100 % to 15 %.
Miroslaw:
About 15-17 % of the weaners previously
showed poor performance
in the nursery period. After introducing
the vaccination, this problem
was resolved in 95 % of the cases.
We are also obtaining a better body
weight on entry to the fattening
units, on average 800 g/pig higher
than before vaccination. In the
beginning it seemed that vaccination
was a cost factor only.
But now vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga has paid off as a worthwhile investment and its efficacy looks spectacular.
How long is your experience with the vaccination of Ecoporc Shiga?
I tried the vaccine on a farm over a year ago and the farm is still vaccinating.
Why did you start?
We started because we saw typical problems with Edema Disease and the farm had to use too much medication, especially colistin.
We mostly saw sudden deaths in weaned piglets, but also in the early finishing period. Besides this, the pigs were not as uniform as we wanted.
What measures had been used before to control Edema Disease?
We used colistin and zinc oxid to control the disease, but it was not as effective as we would have liked and besides that we needed to reduce the antibiotic use.
Did you see any improvement in mortality, performance parameters, runts, etc.?
Yes we did! In the graph you can see that mortality was clearly reduced. The arrow indicates the start of vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga.
Before vaccination, the average mortality from weaning to slaughter was 7.8 %. In the vaccinated pigs, mortality from weaning to slaughter was reduced to 1.8 %. So the farm is performing really well now. At another location, mortality in the early finishing period was reduced by around 1 %.
Did you see a reduction in antibiotic use and/or ZnO use?
Yes we did. Colistin is no longer necessary, it was completely eliminated. Zinc oxid was not needed any more either. We are happy about that.
Although there are still some problems with Streptococcus suis, for which we need to use antibiotics.
Does vaccinating mean increase of workload?
Vaccination does not require more work as it is combined with the iron injection on day 4.
Can you describe your impressions regarding economic sustainability and the Return on Investment?
In general, farmers perceive an extra piglet vaccination as expensive. In very clear-cut cases such as this, there is no doubt about the Return on Investment.
We calculated that, in only half a year of vaccination, one extra full truck of fatteners can be sold to the slaughterhouse. For the fattening unit it is harder to calculate on ROI. We saw a reduction in mortality but the problem was not as big in this case, although the average daily gain was higher in the vaccinated animals. So we are starting to realise that there is more to Edema Disease than mortality.
What was the psychological effect on the owner/farm staff – before and after the introduction of vaccination?
The farmer can concentrate on improving his business and is not “disturbed” by bursts of mortality any more. Not to mention the vet who is not called in for diagnosis or treatment every time animals die!
