title: A study on the applicability of implantable microchip transponders for body temperature measurements in pigs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The applicability of an electronic monitoring system using microchip transponders for measurement of body temperatures was tested in 6-week-old conventional Danish weaners infected with classical swine fever virus (CSFV). Subcutaneous tissue temperatures obtained by the implantable transponders were compared with rectal temperatures, recorded by a conventional digital thermometer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a preliminary study, transponders were inserted subcutaneously at 6 different positions of the body of 5 pigs. The transponders positioned by the ear base provided the best correlation to rectal temperature. To test the stability of the monitoring system in a larger group of pigs, transponders were therefore inserted by the left ear base in a subsequent infection experiment with 30 pigs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Generally, the microchip transponders measured a subcutaneous tissue temperature, which was about 1 degrees C lower than the rectal temperature. However, a simple linear relationship between the measures of the two methods was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that the tested body monitoring system may represent a promising tool to obtain an approximate correlate of body temperatures in groups of pigs. In contrast, however, the tested system did not constitute a suitable tool to measure body temperatures of individual animals in the present pig infection experiment.
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lindholm, DK-4771 Kalvehave, Denmark.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lohse
authors.forename: Ase
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uttenthal
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Enøe
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000276:immunology*; D006691:Classical Swine Fever / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006692:Classical Swine Fever Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000662:veterinary; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013552:Swine; D013686:Telemetry / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral
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