1) The document discusses Mycoplasma hyosynoviae (MHS), a pathogen that can cause arthritis in pigs. It was found on a farm ("Farm B") where grow-finish pigs were experiencing hind limb lameness. 2) A comprehensive control strategy was implemented on Farm B including early identification of lame pigs, controlled exposure of pigs to MHS, and targeted antibiotic treatment which significantly reduced lameness prevalence and severity. 3) Other options discussed include developing an autogenous vaccine and further research on optimal timing of antibiotic treatment to control MHS.

1. Mycoplasma hyosynoviae:
Field Experience in Grow-Finish
Populations
Megan Schnur, DVM
Carthage Veterinary Service
Monday, September 19th, 2016
Allen D. Leman Swine Conference
Saint Paul River Center

2. Overview
• Background
• Prevalence and Clinical Signs
• Production Impact
• Control Strategy and Results
• Final Thoughts

3. Differential Diagnoses
• Muscle damage
• OCD
• Trauma
• Mycoplasma hyosynoviae (MHS)
• Mycoplasma hyorhinis
• Erysipelas
• Glässer’s disease
• Vesicular diseases

4. M. hyosynoviae
• Ubiquitous
• Variable clinical expression
Colonization
- Upper respiratory tract
- Incubation phase ≥4 days
- ≥4-8 weeks of age
Acute Phase
- Joint/tissue spread
- 1-2 weeks
Subacute/
Chronic
Phase
- Arthritis
- 3-16 weeks post-
exposure

5. Diagnosis of MHS

6. Diagnosis of MHS
• Clinically lame
• Detection of organism in joint fluid,
• And synovial tissue microscopic lesions
– Similar detection rates among hock and stifle
joints
• ISU preferred samples
– Joint fluid > Joint swabs/tissue (synovium)

7. MHS Oral Fluid PCR
• Nasal/pharyngeal secretions and lungs
– Healthy pigs
• Sensitive:
– Colonization ≠ infection
– Detection ≠ clinical
• Tonsil  stress/predisposing factors (??) 
systemic spread  joint localization 
arthritis

8. Case Study: “Farm B”

9. “Farm B” Layout
• 6400 head breed-to-wean site
– PRRS, PED negative
– Flu vaccinated/stable
– Myco vaccinated/stable
• Replacement gilts received q 4 weeks
– Multiplier/Source farm: PIC maternal x 1010 semen
– 3 weeks of age at weaning
• Vaccines: PCV2 and Ileitis at multiplier; Myco post-arrival
– Groups (“Lots”) = 325 head
• On-site, attached, 2-room isolation
– Plastic flooring
– 8 weeks
– PRRS/PED tested/cleared  adjacent Grower/GDU
– 4 diets
GDU
1
2

10. “Farm B” GDU
• GDU
– Grower:
• 18 pens of 3 different sizes (6 of each)
– 27’ x 18’11”, 27’ x 15’5”, 27’ x 11’1”
– Additional hospital pen (27’ x 6’6”)
• 3 Lots (12 weeks) of gilts
• 2 diets
• Static pens
• Tunnel ventilated
– Finisher:
• Electronic Sow Feeder training stations – 4 weeks
• Lot moves after training period to full feeders
• 10 pens: 2 Lots (8 weeks)
• 1 pen: non-selects
• 1 pen: hospital
• 2 diets
• Tunnel ventilated
ISO

11. “Farm B” Clinical Signs
• Hind limb lameness, +/-
joint swelling and pain
resulting in gait
alteration
– Onset at 14-15 weeks
of age
– 1-10% prevalence
• Quantified monthly
• Veterinary site visits
– Clinical spectrum
• Clinically unaffected
(subclinical)
• Slow/reluctant to rise
• Muscular tremors
• “Dog-sitters”

12. Assessing Lameness

13. “Farm B” Tissue Diagnostics
• Presentation: Gilt, 14 weeks of age, severe
bilateral hind limb lameness
• Submission: 2 intact hind limbs
• Histopathology: Lymphoplasmacytic synovitis
• Molecular: Joint fluid MHS PCR positive
• Culture: No significant growth on joint swab
• Diagnosis: Mycoplasmal arthritis

14. Oral Fluid GDU Cross-Sectional
University of Minnesota Diagnostic support: Elanco
“Farm B”

15. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
#NewTreatments
Week Post Placement
Lameness Treatments By Week
Turn I New Treats
Turn II New Treats
Turn III New Treats (Current Turn)
“Farm B” Downstream WTF

16. Production Impact of Lameness
• Not specific to cause of lameness
• Gilt mortality
– By age and reason
• Sow mortality
– By parity and reason
• Sow culls
– By parity and reason

17. “Farm B” Gilt Production Impact
Gilt Group Mortality by Reason & Age (Groups 1506 -1607)
Body
condition Lameness
Rectal
prolapse Unknown Diarrhea Starveouts Ileitis Unthrifty HBS HPS Strep
0 -20 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 - 30 5 2 0 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
31 - 40 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
41 - 50 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
51 - 60 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
61 - 70 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0
71 - 80 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
81 - 90 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 0
91 -100 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
101 - 110 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
111 - 120 0 3 0 4 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
121 - 130 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
131 - 140 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
141 - 150 0 6 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
151 -160 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total
161 -170 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 101
Total, % 14% 43% 0% 20% 0% 2% 0% 21% 0% 0% 1%
43/3900 = 1% of starting inventory

18. “Farm B” Sow Production Impact
Deaths by Parity and Reason
Farm B
REMOVEDATE BETWEEN '2015-08-01' AND '2016-07-31' AND REMOVETYPEID=0
Parity
Remove Reason 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 TOTAL %
Abortion 3 3 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 1%
Body Condition 15 11 3 6 5 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 44 6%
Central Nervous 3 2 2 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 2%
Difficult Farrowing 4 9 7 4 9 7 4 2 3 1 1 0 51 7%
Downer 65 35 24 27 23 19 8 8 2 2 1 0 214 28%
Farrow Productivity 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0%
Gastro Intestinal 1 2 0 4 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 2%
Heat Stress 5 8 9 7 5 6 3 2 1 1 0 1 48 6%
Hemorrhaging 4 6 4 6 9 2 2 4 2 1 0 0 40 5%
Lameness 28 20 10 11 7 6 5 3 7 1 0 0 98 13%
No Heat 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0%
Old Age / Parity 0 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 4 4 1 0 15 2%
Rectal Prolapse 2 16 8 6 4 7 5 2 2 0 0 0 52 7%
Rectal Stricture 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0%
Respiratory 7 11 4 6 0 5 4 3 1 1 0 0 42 5%
Unknown 4 12 6 5 14 3 4 6 2 1 0 0 57 7%
Urogenital 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0%
Uterine Prolapse 5 16 8 11 6 6 4 1 1 0 0 0 58 8%
TOTAL 147 154 90 97 88 69 41 36 26 13 3 1 765
Lameness % 19% 13% 11% 11% 8% 9% 12% 8% 27% 8% 0% 0%

19. “Farm B” Sow Production Impact
Culls by Parity and Reason
Farm B
REMOVEDATE BETWEEN '2015-08-01' AND '2016-07-31' AND REMOVETYPEID=1
Parity
Remove Reason 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14TOTAL %
Abortion 22 19 10 9 6 5 5 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 81 3%
Body Condition 25 79 29 16 12 2 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 168 6%
Difficult Farrowing 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0%
Farrow Productivity 0 19 46 53 60 58 29 14 11 2 1 1 0 0 0 294 10%
Genetics 12 0 2 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 1%
Hemorrhaging 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0%
Lameness 45 48 11 15 12 3 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 5%
Multiple Returns 59 64 14 22 12 7 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 181 6%
No Heat 86 51 28 16 13 3 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 203 7%
Not Trainable 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0%
Not in Pig (NIP) 48 40 20 22 14 14 15 10 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 193 7%
Old Age / Parity 1 2 5 17 37 72 103 121 245 242 133 50 12 2 1 1043 37%
Preg Check Negative (PCN) 61 92 71 68 53 52 33 21 15 3 0 2 0 0 0 471 17%
Unsoundness 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0%
Urogenital 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0%
Uterine Prolapse 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0%
TOTAL 362 415 236 244 222 216 202 177 285 250 135 53 12 2 1 2812
Lameness % 12% 12% 5% 6% 5% 1% 3% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

20. Comprehensive Control StrategyIdentify
Period of
onset
Acclimate
Endemic
pathogen
exposure
Apply
Strategic
treatment

21. Control: Step 1
14-15 weeks of age
(3-4 weeks into the Grower)
• Early identification
• Key to minimize performance losses
– Higher culling/mortality without treatment
• On-farm education
– Subtle clinical signs at onset
– Department head walks pens every day in the
AM
– Identify and mark animals to be treated
» Identify clinical signs of lameness
previously described
» Team members return to treat
Identify
Period of
onset

22. Control: Step 2
• Fenceline contact
– Non-select gilts
– Immediately after placement
in the Grower
– Daily for 7 days
Acclimate
Early
exposure

23. Control: Step 3
• Ahead of onset
• 5 day course of water-soluble
Lincomycin
– 3 weeks into the Grower (14
weeks of age)
• Gilt Group Vaccination/Testing
Schedule
– “Lot”-specific water medicators
• Reduction in antibiotic usage
• Targeted therapy
– Injectable Linco/Predef as
needed
Apply
Strategic
treatment

24. Results
• Significant reduction in lameness prevalence,
severity and duration

25. Other Options
• Autogenous vaccine
– Isolation and culture
• Research
– Upcoming trial: determine effective timing of
water soluble antibiotic for the reduction in
incidence and severity of lameness

26. Questions?

27. Diet Considerations
Diet Medication Weight Range Weeks Fed
N1 Mecadox 12-15 1
N2 Mecadox 15-20 1
N3 CTC/Denagard 20-30 1
N4 None 30-50 3
GDU1 Tylan 40g/T 50-100
GDU2 Tylan 40g/T 100-150
GDU3 Tylan 40g/T 150-200
GDU4 Tylan 40g/T 200+

28. GDU Diets
Diet Medication Weight Range ME, kcal/lb SID Lys, % Ca, % P, % AvP, %
GDU1 Tylan 40g/T 50-100 1509 1.115 0.63 0.52 0.35
GDU2 Tylan 40g/T 100-150 1508 0.965 0.61 0.51 0.35
Target Ca:P = 1.15-1.25
Ca:P = 1.2
Target Ca:avP = 1.8-2.1
Ca:avP = 1.7
Target Ca:avP = 1.8-2.1
Ca:avP = 1.8
Target Ca:P = 1.15-1.25
Ca:P = 1.2