- Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is still a major pathogen for the US swine industry, causing economic losses through reduced growth and increased costs. - New diagnostics like tracheal samples and PCR allow for more accurate detection, though serology takes too long to become positive. - Effective exposure methods for introducing negative gilts to positive herds include intratracheal inoculation or aerosolization using lung homogenates, with the latter being more labor friendly. - Herd closure through stabilization or elimination can be economically beneficial, with fogging showing success in exposing herds and some operations able to keep finishers negative in dense pig areas.

1. New Lessons Learned about
Control of
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
Paul
Swine Vet Center, P.A.
St. Peter, MN USAPaul Yeske DVM, MS
Swine Vet Center, P.A.
St. Peter, MN USA

2. Veterinary Consultants
SVC Research Team

3. Topics for Today
• New Diagnostics
• How to Expose gilts
• How to eliminate
• What is the success rate

4. • Mycoplasma is still a major
clinical pathogen in the
U.S.A.
• Economic losses are
associated with M. hyo
– Reduced average daily gain
– Decreased feed efficiency
– Increased medication costs.
– Estimates
– $3.61 per head
– $98.72 per sow
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

5. M. hyopneumoniae infection
• Piglets are born free of M. hyopneumoniae
• Piglets can be colonized and are susceptible to M.
hyopneumoniae at all ages
• Shedding dams are the most influential risk factor for
piglet colonization with M. hyopneumoniae
• A certain proportion of piglets gets colonized with M.
hyopneumoniae in the farrowing rooms
• Animals can shed M. hyopneumoniae up to 240 days
Maria Pieters, DVM, PhD

6. Problem Today with M. hyopneumoniae
Introducing Negative Gilts to Positive Herds
(Minimum of Age 84 days) (Breed 210 Days Minimum)
Exposing Gilts Weaning stable Pigs
Gestation 114 DaysDays 126
240 days to stop shedding
Pieters, Fano 2016

7. Gilts are Difficult to Expose

8. Increases in costs Reduction in costs
Reduction in revenues Increase in
revenues
 Off-site breeding project
 Medication (sows, piglets)
 Vaccination
 Productivity impact due to
disruption of breeding flow
 Diagnostic monitoring (confirm
neg.)
 Reduced antibiotic usage
 Mh vaccination
 Not identified
 More pigs per batch
(↓mortality)
 More pigs/space/year (↑ ADG)
Partial budget variables:
• Daniel Linhares, DVM, MBA, PhD

9. Parameter
Economic
benefit per
pig
Annual
production
system
economic
benefit
↑ 36 g of WTF ADG $ 1.86 $ 232,500
↓ 20 g on WTF feed : gain $ 1.63 $ 204,350
↓ 0.20 in wean-to-finish mortality $ 0.012 $ 1,500
Savings w/ Mh vaccinations $ 0.25 $ 33,967
Savings with antibiotic medications $ 1.21 $ 151,250
Total economic benefit $ 4.99 $ 623,567
• Daniel Linhares, DVM, MBA, PhD
Economic benefit of eliminating Mh:
Using a 5,000 sow farm system producing 135,870 weaned pigs, and
125,000 finishers per year

10. Mh elimination method
Herd
closure
Medication
Investment ($110,700) ($185,700)
Net benefit / year $623,567 $623,567
Probability of success 86% 58%
Project value after Yr. 1 $425,568 $196,124
Months to payback 3.12 11.36
• Daniel Linhares, DVM, MBA, PhD
Economic benefit of eliminating Mh:
Using a 5,000 sow farm system producing 135,870 weaned pigs, and
125,000 finishers per year

11. Improved Diagnostics
• Serology
– Takes time to develop
• Oral fluids
– Not sensitive enough
– If (+) you have a problem
• Laryngeal swabs
– Will go negative over time
• Tracheal samples
– Best sample

12. Sampling Techniques
Laryngeal
swab
Laryngeal
spoon
Tracheobronc
hial catheter

13. Improved Diagnostics
• Tracheal samples
– Using Laryngoscope scope
– Blindly passing catheter

14. 22.94 23.41
21.52
24.53
23.64
29.4 29.83
24.69
29
31.28
30.15
27.74
25.35
27.44
29.77
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1 2 3 4 5
Ctvalue
Sample Pool
M hyopneumoniae Sampling Technique Comparison
M hyopneumoniae PCR - pools of 3
TB Catheter Spoon Swab

15. Detection of M. hyopneumoniae
Tracheal
Bronchial swab
Laryngeal swab
Tracheo-
bronchial lavage
Nasal swabs
Oral fluids
Real-time PCR
Maria Pieters, DVM, PhD
Serology takes too Long to be positive

16. Materials and methods
• Exposure methods
Natural contact Intratracheal
inoculation
Aerosol
exposure
A. Sponheim

17. Preparing Lung Homogenate
• Processing lung material
– Ninja blender
– Friis media
– 60% lung and 40% Friis media
• Final dilution for Intratracheal
– 20 mls lung homogenate
– 1 liter Friis media
– Filter before using especially aerosol.
• Pantyhose has worked the best.
• Final dilution for aerosol
– 80mls lung homogenate
– 2 liters Friis media
• What will allow the fogger to run for 30
minutes

18. Preparing Homogenate to Fog
• Remove from freezer
and thaw out needed
volume to use

19. Waiting to Pass the Catheter
have to wait for them to take a Breath

20. Aerosol Exposure
• Much more friendly from labor side
• Fogging pigs

21. Fogging
• Fog in the room

22. Fogging Being Used More 124,000 Sows
Farm Inventory closure
1 5000 Yes
2 2400 Yes
3 2400 Yes
4 1200 Yes
5 2600 Yes
6 5600 Yes
7 6000 Yes
8 2500 Yes
9 2500 Yes
10 3000 Yes
11 3000 Yes
12 3000 Yes
13 5000 Yes
14 2800 Yes
15 5000 Yes
16 2800 Yes
17 5000 Yes
18 3000 Yes
19 3000 Yes
20 3000 Yes
21 3000 Yes
22 3000 Yes
23 3000 Yes
24 3000 Yes
25 8000 Yes
26 5500 Yes
27 3000 Yes
28 2600 Yes
29 850 No
30 5000 Yes
31 14000 Yes
32 1600 Yes
33 1500 No
34 1350 No
34 124200 31

23. Fogging
• Ready to go to the barn
all 10 foggers

24. Environmental Sampling of
Gestation Barn
• Used aluminum foil to
collect environmental
samples and Swiffer to get
samples off the foil

25. Assessment of the Likelihood of rate of
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
Lateral transmission
• Total Sites 100 (Summer/Fall and Winter/ Spring)
• Total number of positive sites
– 6 sites
• (3) different production systems

26. Wilcoxon test, P=0.0036

27. SVC Myco Elimination Data Base
Herd Closure Medication Total
Number of Sows 145038 47450 192588
Number of Herds 52 20 72
Percent Negative at 1 year 86% 58% 80%
Percent Negative to date 76% 53% 74%
Herds Negative 45 10 56
Average Months negative 58 52 58
Average herd Size 2789 2373 2675
Years Negative 4.8 4.4 4.8

28. Summary
• Mycoplasma is still a problem for the industry
• Need to stabilize the herd
– Good exposure in GDU
• Intratracheal
• Fogging
– (Much more labor friendly)
– Track record so far has been good
– Enough time to develop immunity and stop
shedding

29. Summary
• Need to stabilize the herd
– Either keep the herd stable
– Or move on to elimination
• Finishers can stay negative in pig dense
areas
• Can be a good return on investment

30. Summary
Mycoplasma
It’s Possible