“Respiratory problems can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites. But usually a virus is at the root. They cause damage. Bacteria come at the after party,” says Martijn Steenaert of Boehringer Ingelheim.
Steenaert told this at the beginning of February at an Agrivaknet meeting at the Westfort slaughterhouse in IJsselstein. He showed an overview of germs found in a study into the causes of PRDC (Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex, a multifactorial disorder that manifests itself in respiratory complaints). This research was done in 2011 in different age groups by Frédéric Vangroenweghe of Elanco.
The overview shows that IAV-S is most commonly found in an age of two to five weeks, but gradually decreases. “In the past, when people thought of the flu, they mainly thought of fattening pigs. But you can see that the virus can already cause problems in young animals,” says Steenaert. APP is also present from the start and grows in share as the pigs get older. PRRSv is somewhat less common in the beginning, but gradually increases. Mycoplasma starts modestly, but grows to become an absolute leader in pigs from twelve to 25 weeks old.
What germs are playing at the moment of coughing?
The pig veterinarian emphasizes that the presence of the germ does not necessarily lead to illness. To show a connection between pathogens and respiratory problems, he uses a study by Nico Wertenbroek of MSD from 2018. Saliva research was used to see which germs were playing in the pens when pigs started coughing. It is clear that influenza (IAV) is most common at a young age and becomes less common during life. Between ten and eighteen weeks, it is mainly PRRSV that occurs in coughing pigs. Mycoplasma is rarely found in saliva. This only appears in saliva when coughing, so in animals that are really sick.
Cough faster and better with Soundtalks
With Boehringer Ingelheim’s SoundTalks, a pig farmer can continuously monitor cough in a department. Microphones pick up sounds in the house and can distinguish coughing from other sounds. Via a traffic light system in the barn or in the associated app or online dashboard, pig farmers can see whether there is little or no coughing in the department. “In this way, you notice a cough three to five days earlier than if you rely solely on human perception,” explains Steenaert. He shows studies in which Soundtalks are combined with saliva research by means of chewing ropes. At times when the traffic light system turns orange or red, an increase in, for example, IAV or PRRSv is shown via the saliva test for a few days. “Soundtalks provide early perception and you also have reliable data for analysis,” he says. “You can intervene earlier, for example with prevention protocols or through treatment. This can prevent production loss and reduce costs.”
Text: Gerben Hoffman