EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- A combination of both accurate diagnostics and farm procedures is essential to identify solutions to piglet scours and pre-wean mortalities (PWM).
- Diagnostics are key to finding what multiple pathogens may be contributing to an issue.
- A study conducted at a Midwest sow farm showed periodic rotavirus outbreaks that resulted in a high scour rate and elevated PWM. Vaccines and improved sanitation protocol resulted in only short-term improvements.
- Using a multi-factorial approach, the farm implemented interventions to address both the virus, plus the accompanying bacterial pathogens identified by using PathKinex rectal swabs.
- Rotavirus C was elevated, but the PathKinex diagnostics revealed E. coli was also present, suggesting that intestinal bacteria were contributing to the problem.
- Therefore, the farm implemented several interventions, including the use of direct-fed microbials, Provent® ECL, to improve immunity against the active virus. They also enforced SOPs for sanitation.
- After these interventions were put in place, piglet scours and PWM were reduced and maintained for approximately one year.
- Using a multi-factorial approach to improve both immunity and the microbiota resulted in a longer period of improved PWM that previous attempts where a singular intervention was employed.
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