Building a Strategy for the Swine Industry

Table of Contents

1. Abstract
2. Manuscript

Abstract

While the debate rages as to the role the swine industry has played in contributing to antimicrobial resistance, we must assume that a global outcry against the use of antimicrobials in production practices will require some form of abatement in Canada. The pork industry in Canada has, over the last few years, begun a responsible approach to the use of antimicrobials in management practices. Education and awareness of the issues are tools used by the Ontario pork industry to reduce the use of antibiotics. Swine medicine courses, viscera monitoring and the Canadian Quality Assurance™ program attempt to achieve these objectives. A myriad of alternatives to antibiotics has been made available to pork producers in Ontario. They range from management practices through housing and vaccines. Assistance programs from diagnostics to education and monitoring are available to producers to help them manage antimicrobials. Furthermore, the CQA™ program is designed to give consumers confidence in pork products. The Ontario pork industry continues to develop programs which lead the way in reducing the use of antimicrobials while maintaining production efficiencies.

Manuscript

While the debate rages as to the role the swine industry has played in contributing to antimicrobial resistance, we must assume that an outcry against their use in production practices will require some form of abatement. The pork industry in Canada has, over the last few years, begun a responsible approach to the use of antimicrobials in management practices.

Most of these practices have been adopted in an attempt to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. It was recognised long ago that depending on antibiotics as a production tool was not sustainable. Costs alone would be prohibitive, but morbidity and mortality can not be accepted in a highly competitive pork production environment. Success depends on attention to every detail and health is the biggest part of effective production numbers. Emphasis must be placed on good management practices by understanding health issues on each farm.

The road to good health begins nationally by ensuring our borders are protected against foreign animal diseases like foot and mouth, hog cholera and pseudorabies to name a few. These are extreme examples, but certainly important factors when considering antimicrobials. It requires not only sound laws and regulations, but needs infrastructure and manpower for prevention and policing. Canada enjoys one of the best animal health positions in the world. To maintain that ranking, it will require a commitment from government and legislators, something that is at risk during these times of fiscal responsibility and debt reduction.

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For endemic diseases, producers must begin with and maintain high health animals. Within every herd there is a normal level of disease present. A balance must be maintained so that no disease becomes overwhelming. It begins with animal comfort. Air quality and temperature, dry comfortable housing and cleanliness are equally important. When these conditions are right, herds build up an adequate high level of antibody protection. Clinical signs for these diseases are rarely observed unless the balance is broken or a non-endemic disease strikes. Under these circumstances, endemic diseases can become important and require treatment. This principle becomes extremely important when weaning as susceptible pigs may become challenged by endemic pathogens.

SEW (Segregated Early Weaning) production is intended to prevent weanling infection by pathogens from the sow. Just when colostrum protection is beginning to decline and, hence, passive antibody protection reduces; piglets are weaned (17 - 18 days) to a clean, disinfected, isolated site. Timing of weaning depends on the disease profile present as colostrum immunity varies according to the specific pathogen. This is an attempt to reduce the use of antimicrobials and works well as long as strict guidelines are adhered to. You can't cheat the system or it will fail. It depends on colostrum as the protection from diseases in sow fecal material and nasal secretions. Before protection totally wanes, relatively uninfected pigs are removed to a clean environment away from other sources of pathogens. This system works well from single source herds or herds with similar endemic pathogen status. At one time it was believed that the disease status of the source herd was unimportant, but practice has not borne this out. Although generally still utilised, the use of antibiotics from this production system can be much reduced.

All-in-all-out practices in the grower-finisher stage provide good disease control. By emptying and cleaning the facilities, a disease cycle is broken and this will ensure a healthy start. Continuous flow facilities are much more susceptible to disease outbreaks. Micro-organisms are always present and the slightest mismanagement will upset the disease balance in favour of the pathogen.

Both SEW and all-in-all-out production lends themselves to pulsing medication practices. Production for a time without medication followed by a period with medication provides good disease control and reduces the use of antibiotics. Quite often disease control is better under this regime than under continuous medication.

To protect against non-endemic diseases, producers must control the entrance of all traffic and inputs to their farm. Only farm workers should be allowed into locked facilities. Showers and barn clothing should be provided so a distinct break is made between the outside world and the barn. Guests and salesmen should be entertained well away from the production site. Rodent control is critical. Pets should not be allowed to wander in and out. Inputs should be received at a perimeter fence. Trucks coming into and out of the facility should be washed and disinfected. While every rule is not practised on every farm, many producers in Ontario use these combinations to protect their investment from disease outbreaks. The stakes are high. Disease outbreaks are costly and cannot be endured with the trend to low margins.

Vaccination programs need to be carefully designed for each herd. Many commercial vaccines are available for general protection of animals. They are a necessary part of the disease arsenal and certainly preferential to antimicrobials. More use can be made of autogenous vaccines to target strains specific to a farm.

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Education and awareness of the issues are tools used by the Ontario pork industry to reduce the use of antibiotics. Swine medicine courses, viscera monitoring and the Canadian Quality Assurance™ program attempt to achieve these objectives.

Swine medicine courses are delivered with the intent to increase the knowledge of producers in product knowledge, dosages, withdrawal times, injection sites, etc. The daylong course concludes with a test. Upon successful completion, the producer is given a certificate. It is intended that this course be repeated every three to five years to maintain a certified status. For now, the course is voluntary, but it is anticipated that it will become mandatory.

APHIN (Animal Productivity and Health Information Network) is a program, which uses the evaluation of viscera at the processing plant to track the health status of a farm over time. It was conceived in the province of Prince Edward Island. Ontario Pork bought into the use of the system three years ago. By examining livers for worm damage, lungs for pneumonia and body cavities for adhesions the producer with the assistance of his veterinarian can monitor health trends and take appropriate actions before problems become serious. This method takes the guesswork out of disease monitoring and targets antibiotic use where it is needed. It is an exciting program that is crucial in the antimicrobial question.

The Canadian Quality Assurance™ program is an extensive nation-wide effort to ensure food safety and quality. Ontario Pork led the way by implementing a pilot project based on the findings of a professional working committee. Other provinces joined in with their experiences to build the national program. National standards will mean constant quality throughout Canada and the world that consumers can count on. Producers must meet criteria of drug use and awareness, identification and record keeping, and quality levels of production. Key to the process is third party validation to maintain rigid standards.

Targeted treatment is the preferred method throughout all of this. Producers should work closely with their veterinarians to properly identify disease and select the drug and program of choice. This requires properly equipped and staffed laboratories. They must be accessible and affordable or they will not be used.

The immune system needs careful assessment in relation to antimicrobials. When all of the tools above are used in production systems, the immune response should be at its maximum. This will ensure minimal use of antimicrobials while at the same time maximising output.

Ontario Pork has supported immune response research. One such project used Tramisol, normally an anthelmintic, to enhance or stimulate the immune system of piglets through weaning. It proved to be a cost-effective tool in establishing immunity. Much more research needs to be conducted in these areas and Ontario Pork is interested in funding worthy projects.

Another option lies in Genetically Modified organisms (GMO's). As yet, it is largely unexplored in animals. The crop production field has many examples of success. This solution may be bitter sweet however as consumers are wavering in their acceptance of GMOs. Still it is a valid alternative if antimicrobial use in agriculture must be reduced.

A myriad of alternatives to antibiotics has been made available to pork producers in Ontario. They range from management practices through housing and vaccines. Assistance programs from diagnostics to education and monitoring are available to producers to help them manage antimicrobials. Furthermore, the CQA™ program is designed to give consumers confidence in pork products. The Ontario pork industry has led the way in reducing the use of antimicrobials while maintaining production efficiencies.

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