Multiple Pathogens Multiply Costs for Pork Producers

Cindy Zimmerman

When it comes to pathogens in swine, one plus one amounts to more than just two, according to Dr. Tom Painter, Director of Veterinary Health Services for Cargill Pork.

He told other swine vets at the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI) Swine Health Seminar in Denver last week about a study they did on the economic costs of different combinations of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, PRRS, and swine influenza virus (SIV). “We found that when you had a combination of PRRS and Mycoplasma, PRRS and SIV, that the production costs in the form of average daily gain, culls and mortality, was a lot higher than either antigen alone,” he said.

As a result, Dr. Painter said that preventative measures such as vaccinations for those pathogens proved to be well worth the investment. “The result that you get from Mycoplasma negative pigs is excellent return,” he said. “Also, it’s clear that if you vaccinate a pig three weeks before they’re exposed to the PRRS virus, that the cost of the mortality and culls is substantially less.”

Listen to my interview with Dr. Painter here: Dr. Tom Painter with Cargill Pork

BIVI Summit at Mile High 2012 photo album

Animal Health, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, Swine