Vaccination of weaned pigs against oedema disease.
The trial was performed in a pig-production unit with high prevalence of postweaning oedema disease (ED). An experimental inactivated VT2e-toxoid vaccine was produced. Two randomised treatment groups of piglets were formed. The animals in one group (n = 351) were vaccinated intramuscularly at 1 week of age with 12.5 micrograms and at 3 weeks of age with 25 micrograms of inactivated VT2e toxin. The other group (n = 350) was placebo treated. We evaluated: average daily nursery weight gain, nursery mortality due to ED, fattening average daily weight gain until slaughter and VT2e-specific antibody titres. Serological tests were performed four times: before first vaccination, at weaning, at the end of nursery period and at an age of 4 month. Vaccination improved nursery average weight gains (301 +/- 31 g/day vs. 278 +/- 41 g/day). Mortality due to edema disease decreased in vaccinates: 0.9% vs. 6.9%. Fattening average daily weight gain until slaughter did not differ between the groups (711 +/- 41 g vs. 708 +/- 46 g).
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Bilkei Consulting, Raubbühlstrasse 4, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
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D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D004488:Edema Disease of Swine / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000276:immunology; D013552:Swine; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2