Farmscape for September 25, 2006  (Episode 2255)

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine reports early evidence indicates the use of two new vaccines developed to protect against the ravages of Porcine Circo Virus Associated Disease are working.

Porcine Circo Virus Associated Disease affects weanling pigs with symptoms typically appearing in the grower phase and the disease is often fatal.

Western College of Veterinary Medicine associate professor Dr. John Harding says reports from Quebec and Ontario indicate the number of cases and their severity have declined over the past two to three months while in western Canada it remains sporadic but appears on the decline.

He credits the passage of time and the introduction of two new vaccines.

Clip-Dr. John Harding-Western College of Veterinary Medicine 

All the countries globally that have seen an epidemic increase, they all naturally tend to decrease over a 24 month period so I think what we're seeing is partly due to that but I think the most significant factor that, both is reported from the field and would make some sort of scientific sense, would be that we've had two vaccines that have now been used in the industry for the last three to six months and I think it's having quite a substantial dent in the amount of cases that we have.

The two vaccines on the market are manufactured and distributed by Merial and Intervet.

The Merial product is used on sows prior to farrowing and the Intervet product is used on piglets at approximately time of weaning, three to six weeks of age.

Circumstantial and evidence from the field would certainly suggest that the vaccines are working at this point in time, dropping the incidence down, although I have not seen any hard numbers or we have not seen any data from controlled trials at this point in time but we're getting very positive feelings from the field.

Dr. Harding notes controlled studies will report over the next one to two years and it's hoped the vaccines are doing their job and this disease will continue to decrease.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council