title: Incidence and severity of Arcanobacterium pyogenes injection site abscesses with needle or needle-free injection.
abstract: Nursery-age pigs (n=198) were used to evaluate the difference in abscess formation at needle-free jet and conventional needle-and-syringe injection sites. Needle-free jet injection was used to administer injections in the neck and ham on one side of the animal whereas needle-and-syringe was used for neck and ham injections on the opposite side. Immediately prior to injection, the injection site surfaces were contaminated with an inoculum of Arcanobacterium pyogenes. Each pig was humanely euthanized 27 or 28 days after injections. Histopathological results showed that needle-free jet injection was associated with more abscesses than needle-and-syringe injection at both neck (P=0.0625) and ham (P=0.0313) injection sites. Out of 792 injection sites, only 13 abscesses were observed, with 12 of those present at needle-free jet injection sites. Needle-free jet injection may increase the occurrence of injection site abscesses that necessitate carcass trimming at pork processing plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, 232 Weber Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
authors.forename: Bryce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: Terry A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Houser
authors.forename: Larry C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Hollis
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Tokach
authors.forename: Jerome C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nietfeld
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Brandon L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Goehring
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D055667:Arcanobacterium / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D006615:Hip; D015994:Incidence; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D007277:Injections, Jet / Q000662:veterinary; D007615:Kansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D009333:Neck; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries / Q000382:microbiology*; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*; D014886:Weaning