Volume 56 (2006) Issue: 2006 No#4

A field trial to study the efficacy of Respisure One® vaccine against pigs mycoplasmal pneumonia

Author(s): Šiugždaite J, Jukna Č, Jukna V, Žilinskas H, Garlaite K

Keywords:swine enzootic pneumonia, vaccine, meat quality

The immunoprophylaxis of mycoplasmal pneumonia in swine (MPS) caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae was investigated. A field trial was conducted on three commercial pig farms located in different parts of Lithuania. A Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae single dose Respisure One® vaccine was tested in 600 pigs for its effects on daily weight gain (DWG), lung lesions and meat quality. The other group of 600 piglets was left unvaccinated as a control. The evaluation of DWG from the time of vaccination until slaughter showed that the DWG in the vaccinated group increased by 5.5% (p<0.05). Vaccination against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae decreased significantly (p<0.001) pneumonic lung lesions in vaccinated pigs. In this study, we examined the effects of vaccination against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae on carcass quality, chemical composition, technological, culinary and physical properties of musculus longissimus dorsi. Our data showed that meat lightness L* (p<0.05), drip loss (p<0.001), fat thickness between 6–7 thoracic vertebrae were significantly higher (p<0.05), than in the unvaccinated pigs. We concluded that Respisure One® vaccine has positive effects daily weight gain, as well as on various carcass and meat quality parameters, at the same time minimizing lung lesions characteristic for mycoplasmal pneumonia.