Current efforts on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae control in

reproductive herds

Maria PietersVeterinary Population Medicine department

& Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Outline

• Where are we at?

• Current efforts

• Mycoplasma Task Force

• Take home message

• M. hyopneumoniae is highly prevalent in

the USA and the world

• Disease control is less than ideal

• Eradication of disease is a growing trend

• Antibiotic free production is increasing

Where are we at?

Private practice

Production systems

Academia

Industry

Mycoplasma control issues affect all of us

Current efforts

• Gilt acclimation initiative

• Economic evaluation of disease and freedom of

• Elimination programs

Initiative for a collaborative group of U.S. industry and academic leaders with demonstrated interest on aspects related to Mycoplasma infections in swine

The objective of the Task Force is to discuss current strategies, procedures, and tools used in the swine industry, and to make recommendations based on collaborative discussions and review of literature and field information

Main aspects to focus on

• Status of the problem• Case definition• Current control methods• Elimination

Status of the problem

• Mycoplasma infections still an issue• Limiting factor in antibiotic free production • Lack of information for common

understating and approaches for disease control

• Lack of information disclosure • Status of diagnostics

Problematic

• Lack of diagnostics

•Clinical disease in pigs

Not problematic

•Pigs clinically “quiet”

• Serology low in P3s and up

•Not rising S/P values after purposeful exposure

•PCR- 15 woa• Serology- 20

woa

In transition

• Longer than 12 months as a “Not Problematic” farm

•PCR negative gilts at farrowing

Negative

•Post depopulation/ repopulation

•No evidence of antibody response

Case definition

Current control methods

Management

Medication

Vaccination

Vaccination

• New vaccine technologies• Gilt vaccination strategies• Sow vaccination:

– Revisiting the maternal interference concept– Characterizing immune response post-

vaccination in sows

• Piglet vaccination

Medication

• Guidance on antibiotic use• Prevalence threshold for treatment in the

sows (cost-benefit analysis)• Prevalence at weaning threshold for piglet

treatment• Antimicrobial resistance

Management

• Gilt management:– Continuous flow – All-in/all-out

• Batch production (wean age)• Parity segregation • Matching management with case definition

Elimination

• Economics• Strategies• Acclimation – Exposure methods• Shortening time for elimination• Is low prevalence good enough?• Quantifying risk of lateral transmission

Elimination

• Animal welfare• Advantages of Mycoplasma negative

production• Effect on antibiotic usage• ROI• Co-infections as confounding factors

Next steps

• Disclosing information

• Getting organized with producers and

practitioners for generation of information

• Field trials

Take home message

- Exciting times!

- Information needed interest to generate new information

- Be open, work together, and share your results!