MSD Animal Health receives Europpean approval for swine vaccine

MSD Animal Health, known as Merck Animal Health in the U.S. and Canada, announced the European approval of a new indication for PANACUR AquaSol (fenbendazole 200 mg/mL) to effectively treat swine infected with Trichuris suis, a whipworm found worldwide that causes multifocal inflammation. Heavy infections often cause diarrhea and emaciation in swine.
PANACUR AquaSol is a dewormer for swine administered through drinking water that stays in suspension without re-stirring, ensuring more uniform intake and proper dosing of the field-proven anthelmintic. In a single-site, dose confirmation study conducted at a German University, PANACUR AquaSol was found to be efficacious (93 percent worm count reduction) in the treatment of swine naturally infected with T. suis when compared to an untreated control group.
“The infestation of T. suis in swine can have a significant economic impact for swine producers, if not treated quickly and effectively,” said Dr. Alex Eggen, director, MSD Animal Health. “The innovative wet-milling process for PANACUR AquaSol produces very fine particles that mix easily in water and stay suspended for 24 hours without agitation, making treatment for T. suis easy and effective and that is highly desirable for especially those producers that use outdoor production facilities.”
PANACUR AquaSol, which can be used in weaners, growers, gestating sows and boars, is also indicated for the treatment and control of infections with Ascaris suum (adult, intestinal and migrating larval stages) and Oesophagostomum spp. (adult stages). The applied dose regimen is a daily dose of 2.5 mg fenbendazole (FBZ)/kg bodyweight for 2 consecutive days for a total dose of 5 mg FBZ/kg BW. For T. suis infections, the applied dose regimen is a daily dose of 2.5 mg FBZ/kg BW for 3 consecutive days, for a total dose of 7.5 mg FBZ/kg BW.

Pfizer announces '10 under 40' swine veterinarian award winners

Pfizer Animal Health has announced the first winners of the "10 under 40" swine veterinarian award program, a biennial program designed to recognize 10 veterinarians under the age of 40 who are making significant contributions to swine medicine.  
The award was open to American Association of Swine Veterinarians members under 40 years of age, residing in the U.S., in practice, academic or consulting capacities. Nominees were to devote a minimum of 60% of their time to swine medicine. 
The winners are:

• Tara Donovan, DVM - Donovan serves as vice president of health management at The HANOR Family of Companies, Spring Green, Wis.
• Jason Hocker, DVM, M.S. - As a partner at AMVC and managing partner of AMVC Production in Audubon, Iowa, Hocker was also the lead organizer of the Iowa State University/AMVC Swine Medicine Education Center.
• Marlin Hoogland, DVM, M.S. - In Algona, Iowa, Hoogland acts as the Midwest lead finishing veterinarian at Murphy-Brown Western Operations.
• Darin Madson, DVM, Ph.D. - Madson is an assistant professor in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
• Jeremy Pittman, DVM - Pittman serves as staff veterinarian at Murphy-Brown North Division in Waverly, Va. He is also an adjunct faculty member at North Carolina State University.
• Sarah Probst Miller, DVM - Probst Miller recently started her own business, AgCreate Solutions, Inc. She is based in Monticello, Ill.
• Chris Rademacher, DVM - Rademacher is the director of production improvement at Murphy-Brown Western Operations in Ames, Iowa. 
• Cameron Schmitt, DVM, M.S. - In Independence, Iowa, Schmitt is one of the owners and veterinarians at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic of Iowa.
• Matthew Turner, DVM - Turner serves as staff veterinarian at Prestage Farms in Clinton, N.C. and also is as an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University.
• Amy Vincent, DVM, M.S., Ph.D. - Vincent is a veterinary medical officer at the United States Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service. She works at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. 

Pig Care program teaches veterinary students about swine health

Iowa State University veterinary students participate in Individual Pig Care. Students learned how to identify pigs at the onset of sickness, plus gained experience in communicating treatment and protocol information most effectively to people working on farms.

Veterinary students from Iowa State University participated in the Individual Pig Care training/certification program, which focused on the identification of sick pigs and communication skills.
The March 26 event, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, taught students how flexing to behavioral tendencies and experience levels can enhance communication. They then used these skills to communicate their observations on husbandry practices to caregivers. "We had the opportunity to take what we learned in the classroom and apply it in a pig production setting, doing health assessments and incorporating communication skills based on various personality types to ensure that protocols are followed," said Chase Stahl, third-year veterinary student at Iowa State and president of the school's AASV student chapter.
Another part of the Individual Pig Care training/certification program allowed students to walk through the pig barn and learn how to identify pigs at different stages of sickness and then report their observations in a role-play exercise. "We learned a lot about how to find sick pigs at the onset of disease and then were able to do one of the hardest things, practice communicating those observations to others in the operation," said Stahl. "With the role-play exercise, we were able to facilitate our observations using different communication styles and get feedback from experienced veterinarians. It was a great learning experience."
Faculty of Iowa State and Pfizer Animal Health veterinarians assisted students with sick pig identification, conducted communication practice sessions and provided feedback on the students' observations after each session

Feet First researchers identify key sow claw lesion sources, types

The Feet First team, an international collaboration of researchers, veterinarians and nutritionists committed to advancing the swine industry through the identification and prevention of lameness, has released information concluding that the majority of claw lesions arise from three main sources: inflammation, trauma and mechanical factors, most likely in conjunction with inferior horn.
According to the team, which was formed four years ago by Zinpro Corporation, the lesions of greatest concern are those which penetrate the horn wall into the corium of the foot causing an inflammatory response. The following types of lesions cause pain and locomotion problems for sows:

• White line lesions: occur at the natural junction between the elastic heel and the more rigid wall. Lesions develop because of mechanical factors, inflammation and inferior horn.
• Horizontal cracks: most often caused by trauma due to inferior flooring. These cracks will initially appear as linear hemorrhages at the coronary band.
• Sidewall cracks: run vertically or obliquely from the ground surface in the sidewall up towards the coronary band. Typically along the junction between the soft heel and the far harder wall horn, these cracks are often associated with heel overgrowth.
• Overgrown toes and dew claws: can result from inadequate wear or chronic inflammation. Problems arise when toes and dew claws grow to such a degree that locomotion is hindered or mechanical injury to the soft tissue of the coronary band is possible. Also, when the horn capsules are severely overgrown, they are at greater risk of getting caught in a slat and being torn off.

According to the research, each of the following trace minerals play a critical role in building strong, healthy feet:

• Zinc, for corium health, wound healing, as well as sole, heel and wall horn strength/elasticity.
• Manganese, for joints, tendons and bone density.
• Copper, for connective tissue, white line health, as well as sole, heel and wall horn strength/elasticity.

Boehringer Ingelheim offering PRRS research awards

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH is offering three awards of $25,000 each for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) research.
The awards are open to researchers, veterinarians, academia, students and producer organizations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The submission deadline for research proposals is Jan. 1, 2011. For more information, visit www.PRRSresearch.com.

Researchers identify genetic markers for swine disease tolerance

Newsham Choice Genetics studied more than 1,100 pigs to complete the first phase in a comprehensive study to discover and map genes associated with health traits in the animals.
Each pig was genotyped for more than 64,000 markers throughout the genome. "Consistent with what we've observed in our genomics discoveries related to production and reproduction traits, each of the disease tolerance traits we've studied is genetically complex and affected by many genes," said Archie Clutter, Ph.D., vice president of research and development for Newsham Choice. "While we expect some of these genes to be specific to a [Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)] response, we expect many to be more generally important for disease and animal health."
Phase 2 of the study will include the validation of Phase 1 results. The project's timeline includes first practical use of the results in the first half of 2011.

Pork Quality Assurance Plus Adviser Training Program to be offered by IPIC

The Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) will hold a Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus Advisor training session at Iowa State University on Oct. 5
Certification as an Advisor requires attendance at a daylong training session and passing an exam at the end of the session. "If you're interested in attending, please let us know by submitting an application as soon as possible," said IPIC spokesperson Jane Runneals. Requirements for eligibility include being a veterinarian, extension specialist or agriculture educator; having a D.V.M. or B.S. in animal science or an equivalent combination of education and swine production experience; and having two years of recent documentable swine production experience. The application deadline is Sept. 28.

Allen D. Leman Swine Conference will take place in September

The University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine will host the 37th Annual Allen D. Leman Swine Conference at the River Center in Saint Paul, Minn., September 18-21. A wide range of topics will be reviewed by experts in their field. The swine keynote sessions will include:
“A Wall Street View of the Protein Market” presented by Farhas Aslam, managing director at Stephens Inc.;
“Elimination of PRRS” by the faculty of the University of Minnesota;
“Feeding a Growing World Without Destroying the Planet” by Professor John Foley, director of the University Minnesota Institute on the Environment; and
“Bringing Prosperity to the Smallholder African Farmer through Livestock” by Dr. Greg BeVier of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Sponsors of the conference include Pfizer Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Alpharma Animal Health, Bayer Animal Health, Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health, Novus International and the National Pork Board.

2010 Leman Science in Practice Award recipient announced

Dr. Paul Yeske has been chosen to receive the Allen D. Leman Science in Practice Award, which is given every year by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and Pfizer Animal Health in recognition of an individual’s scientific contributions to swine health and management.
Yeske maintains a veterinary practice at the Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn., and is active in the field of swine health management, with a particular focus on disease control and eradication research. He publishes in numerous journals and is a member of the PRRS Eradication Task Force and Production Animal Disease Risk Assessment Program Committee for the American Association of Swine Practioners.
Yeske holds a master of science in swine medicine from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He earned his doctorate of veterinary medicine from Iowa State University. He has also completed the executive veterinary program at the University of Illinois.
The award will be presented at the international Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, which takes place September 18-21, 2010, in St. Paul, Minn.