Abstract:

Effect of a mycoplasma vaccine on average daily gain in swine

W. E. Morgan Morrow, BVSc, MS, PhD; Gerardo Iglesias, MVS, PhD; Charles Stanislaw, BS, PhD; Alan Stephenson, MS; and Gene Erickson, DVM, PhD

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A Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccine (RespiSure(R), SmithKline Beecham Animal Health, Exton Pennsylvania) was tested for its effect on pig growth rate in a 150-sow farrow-to-finish unit in North Carolina using all-in-all-out flow in the farrowing and nursery. From October 1991 to December 1991, 625 nursery pigs from five weaned groups were sorted into pens by gender and similar weight, eartagged, and allocated to vaccinate or control groups by pen. Vaccinates received 2 mL of the mycoplasma vaccine on the day they were allocated to treatment and 14 days later. Pigs were weighed individually when moved between buildings at approximately 23 kg (5 I Ib), and 33 kg (73 Ib), and prior to slaughter at 92 kg (202 Ib).Average daily gain was not different (P=.24) between vaccinated and control pigs when averaged over all five groups. Barrows grew faster (P=.003) than females when averaged over all three stages of growth. However, vaccine did not affect this difference (P=.37). The weight of pigs entering the nursery was a significant determinant of average daily gain for nursery (P=.0001), growing (P=.0053), and finishing (P=.0001) phases of growth.These data indicate that the mycoplasma vaccine did not improve average daily gain in the trial herd and may not improve average daily gain in similar herds with a low prevalence of infection.

Keywords: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, vaccine, average daily gain

RIS citationCite as: Morrow WEM, Iglesias G, Stanislaw C, et al. Effect of a mycoplasma vaccine on average daily gain in swine. J Swine Health Prod 1994;2(6):13-18.

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