This document discusses current efforts to control Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in swine herds. It outlines the formation of a Mycoplasma Task Force comprising industry and academic leaders to make recommendations on control strategies. The Task Force will focus on defining the problem status, developing a case definition, evaluating current control methods like vaccination and medication, and discussing elimination programs. The overall goal is to generate more information sharing to improve disease understanding and approaches.

1. Current efforts on Mycoplasma
hyopneumoniae control in
reproductive herds
Maria Pieters
Veterinary Population Medicine department
& Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

2. Outline
• Where are we at?
• Current efforts
• Mycoplasma Task Force
• Take home message

3. • M. hyopneumoniae is highly prevalent in
the USA and the world
• Disease control is less than ideal
• Eradication of disease is a growing trend
• Antibiotic free production is increasing
Where are we at?

4. Private practice
Production
systems
Academia
Industry
Mycoplasma control issues affect all of us

5. Current efforts
• Gilt acclimation initiative
• Economic evaluation of disease and
freedom of
• Elimination programs

6. Initiative for a collaborative group of U.S. industry and
academic leaders with demonstrated interest on aspects
related to Mycoplasma infections in swine
The objective of the Task Force is to discuss current
strategies, procedures, and tools used in the swine industry,
and to make recommendations based on collaborative
discussions and review of literature and field information

7. Main aspects to focus on
• Status of the problem
• Case definition
• Current control methods
• Elimination

8. Status of the problem
• Mycoplasma infections still an issue
• Limiting factor in antibiotic free production
• Lack of information for common
understating and approaches for disease
control
• Lack of information disclosure
• Status of diagnostics

9. Problematic
•Lack of
diagnostics
•Clinical disease
in pigs
Not problematic
•Pigs clinically
“quiet”
•Serology low in
P3s and up
•Not rising S/P
values after
purposeful
exposure
•PCR- 15 woa
•Serology- 20
woa
In transition
•Longer than 12
months as a
“Not
Problematic”
farm
•PCR negative
gilts at
farrowing
Negative
•Post
depopulation/
repopulation
•No evidence of
antibody
response
Case definition

10. Current control methods
Management
Medication
Vaccination

11. Vaccination
• New vaccine technologies
• Gilt vaccination strategies
• Sow vaccination:
– Revisiting the maternal interference concept
– Characterizing immune response post-
vaccination in sows
• Piglet vaccination

12. Medication
• Guidance on antibiotic use
• Prevalence threshold for treatment in the
sows (cost-benefit analysis)
• Prevalence at weaning threshold for piglet
treatment
• Antimicrobial resistance

13. Management
• Gilt management:
– Continuous flow
– All-in/all-out
• Batch production (wean age)
• Parity segregation
• Matching management with case definition

14. Elimination
• Economics
• Strategies
• Acclimation – Exposure methods
• Shortening time for elimination
• Is low prevalence good enough?
• Quantifying risk of lateral transmission

15. Elimination
• Animal welfare
• Advantages of Mycoplasma negative
production
• Effect on antibiotic usage
• ROI
• Co-infections as confounding factors

16. Next steps
• Disclosing information
• Getting organized with producers and
practitioners for generation of information
• Field trials

17. Take home message
- Exciting times!
- Information needed  interest to generate
new information
- Be open, work together, and share your
results!