A new study emphasizes the importance of early disease detection. Patrick Jung, a student in The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, compared two well-known antibiotics, Tylvalosin and Lincomycin, for controlling ileitis in finishing pigs.
During the American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting in 2024, Jung met Nathan Winkelman, DVM. This connection during the student networking session led Jung to a summer internship at Swine Services Unlimited Inc., with Winkelman.
“I knew he was very well known for his work on ileitis, so it felt like a perfect chance to learn from an expert in the field,” Jung says. “I’ve always loved the idea of getting to dive deep into a single disease process—it helps me truly understand the ins and outs of a particular disease.”
Applicable Research
He says the research is also very practical and applicable in its nature for both veterinarians and producers.
“We often know medications can work, but we don’t always get to see how well they work in detail,” Jung pointed out during the oral presentation competition at the AASV annual meeting in San Francisco on March 2. “I really liked being able to track the actual performance data because I like talking in numbers such as growth and feed efficiency, to see which medication was doing a better job.”
Winkelman and Jung used an oral challenge to give each pig Lawsonia intracellularis (the organism that causes ileitis), then split them into different treatment groups. They compared how the pigs did clinically and measured performance metrics like average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) to see if one treatment consistently outperformed the other. They also looked at actual lesion severity in the gut.
“We did a cost-benefit analysis to see what each medication’s return might be for producers, which I think is really important for veterinarians or producers deciding what to use,” Jung says. “Producers can use these findings to make a more informed decision about which medication to choose when they notice signs of ileitis. By understanding the differences in performance gains and comparing costs, they can figure out which treatment offers the best return on investment for their particular setup. Essentially, it’s practical data they can lean on, rather than just going off anecdotal experiences.”
Early Treatment is Key
The major takeaway is that both Tylvalosin and Lincomycin make a difference in reducing clinical signs and improving performance against ileitis, Jung says. However, he adds that Tylvalosin often showed a bit more favorable numbers in terms of growth, feed efficiency and lesion scores.
“This means that depending on the stage of production or the goals of treatment, we can use either Tylvalosin and Lincomycin,” Jung says. “It really highlighted how important it is to recognize the disease quickly and treat it. If we manage ileitis properly, we can significantly minimize its impact on growth and overall herd health.”
Jung was one of 15 students who competed in the oral presentation contest at the AASV annual meeting. Read more here. In addition to AASV, Jung received encouragement and financial support from the Ohio Pork Council.
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