by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc./July 17, 2023
New method enables vaccination of 48 litters in about three minutes.
Lawsonia intracellularis and Salmonella are not new pathogens to the swine industry and pose threats to the health and performance of pigs. Vaccination is critical to protect the bottom line, but it can sometimes be time consuming and labor intensive.
Recognizing the labor challenges many swine producers are facing, the innovators at Boehringer Ingelheim partnered with customers to investigate novel vaccination methods. As a result, Boehringer Ingelheim has introduced a new, oral gel administration method for its Lawsonia and Salmonella vaccines, Enterisol® Ileitis and Enterisol Salmonella T/C®, that allows the vaccines to be administered prior to weaning.
How it works
In basic terms, oral administration by gel is as easy as “mix and spray.” Once the gel has been prepared and mixed with the vaccine, the mixture is then sprayed onto the mat of farrowing crates. For optimal administration speed, it is recommended to use a backpack doser to spray mats.
The inquisitive nature of pigs is the key to the ingestion of the vaccine. The piglets receive their dosage by rooting around and ingesting the gel. A pig behavior study demonstrated that piglets can ingest the vaccine in as little as 30 minutes.1
Why gel?
Oral vaccines ENTERISOL ILEITIS and ENTERISOL SALMONELLA T/C have been proven to be safe and effective. ENTERISOL ILEITIS, specifically, has been trusted to provide convenient and efficacious protection for the last 20 years.2, 3 Existing oral vaccination options included vaccination via oral drench or through the drinking water.
This new method was introduced to help producers optimize labor resources and provide them with another option for incorporating these critical vaccines into their protocols.
In a study trial, when using a commercial backpack doser, gel administration allowed for the vaccination of 48 litters, or approximately 578 piglets, in around three minutes. This is substantially less than the estimated hour or more it would take to individually handle and orally drench the same number of piglets.1
Gel administration also helps reduce stress, given piglets do not need to be individually handled to administer the vaccines. Reducing stress is important for animal welfare and overall pig performance. With this method, piglets can be vaccinated simply by consuming the gel mixed with vaccine.
In addition to being fast, easy and low-stress, this new method of oral administration provides producers with another option for vaccinating pre-wean piglets against Lawsonia and Salmonella, facilitating management of the med-free window.1
Same trusted products
The ENTERISOL ILEITIS and ENTERISOL SALMONELLA T/C vaccines used in oral gel administration are the exact same products that producers have trusted for years. A study has shown this novel method of administration provides the same level of protection as traditional vaccination through the drinking water.1
For more information on this new vaccination method and how it could be incorporated into your protocols, speak with your Boehringer Ingelheim representative.
REFERENCES
1 Data on file.
2 Leite F, Cline G, Waddell J, et al. Enterisol® Ileitis: What we have learned in 20 years of controlling Lawsonia intracellularis. Available at: https://bi-animalhealth.com/swine/articles/enterisol-ileitis-what-we-have-learned-in-20-years-of-controlling-lawsonia-intracellularis. Accessed February 22, 2023.
3 Kolb J, Sick F. Summary of field trials implementing Enterisol® Ileitis against ileitis, in Proceedings. 33rd Annu Meet AASV 2003;243–244.
ENTERISOL® and ENTERISOL SALMONELLA T/C® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. ©2023 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All Rights Reserved. US-POR-0058-2023-A