Effectiveness of field vaccination against pandemic H1N1 in pigs

Researchers of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie have recently published in the journal Plos Currents, a study concerning the vaccination’s effectiveness against pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in a pig farm.

The vaccine, not registered at national level, has been introduced in Italy after the ministerial approval at the end of 2013. The study was performed in a breeding farm with open cycle flow, in Treviso province. In addition to vaccination as a means of infection control, further biosecurity measures have been adopted and the standards of breeding management, in particular during the gestation, were redefined.

The effectiveness of vaccination was assessed by measuring:

• levels of maternal immunity in piglets born from vaccinated sows;
• levels of virus circulation in nasal swabs sampled over a two-months period.

The pandemic virus was no longer detected after the vaccination, while the improvement of breeding practice led to a positive effect on clinical symptoms.