An environmental enrichment (EE) device could be used to self-vaccinate pigs through natural behavior and reduce labor requirements. Researchers suggest this technology has the potential to improve vaccine compliance, biosecurity and overall animal welfare in commercial swine operations.
An EE device developed by John McGlone, professor at Texas Tech University; Rebecca Robbins, DVM, with PIC; Jessica Seate, DVM, with Animal Science Products, Inc.; and a team of students, allows pigs to self-administer liquids, such as vaccines, through pig rooting, investigating and natural play behaviors, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) shared in a final report in the April SHIC newsletter.
Researchers measured efficacy of vaccine delivery and antibody response after self-vaccination compared to hand-vaccination for Lawsonia intracellularis (ileitis), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp), influenza A virus (IAV) and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (erysipelas). Results show efficacy varies by pathogen, but researchers say erysipelas and ileitis vaccines show similar efficacy between self and hand-vaccination. Read more about how the study was conducted here.
How Effective is the EE Device?
Results for Mhp and IAV showed that self-vaccination with either antigen did not generate serum or oral fluid antibodies equivalent to the hand-vaccinated pigs, SHIC reports. When erysipelas vaccines were tested, self-administered pigs developed both oral and serum antibodies equal to those of hand-vaccination. Pigs that self-administered the ileitis vaccine developed only oral fluids antibodies.
“It was determined that some vaccines have similar efficacy between self-administration compared to labor-intense individual vaccinations,” the researchers note. “However, other vaccines did not readily induce antibody synthesis.”
Findings suggest that self-administration of killed vaccines, such as IAV and Mhp, may not be effective when delivered via the EE device.
“Inactivated vaccines typically rely on systemic immunity and often require adjuvants or higher doses to enhance efficacy,” the researchers explain. “These characteristics pose challenges for self-vaccination formats without precise dose controls.”
In contrast, live attenuated vaccines stimulate both systemic and mucosal immunity and can replicate locally at the administration site, making them more suitable for self-vaccination.
“Vaccine formulations or administration methods could be adapted to allow self-vaccination of select vaccines,” the researchers suggest. “Alternatively, an EE device may be modified to allow different methods of administration such as subcutaneous or intramuscular routes.”
How Can EE Devices Help Producers?
Using EE for self-vaccination of select vaccines has the ability to reduce labor requirements, eliminate the need for needles, provide benefits to animal welfare during immunization, and allow pen-level vaccinations or delivery of other animal health products, SHIC reports.
“Self-vaccination via an EE device not only reduces labor demands but also offers a less stressful and more enriching experience for pigs compared to traditional hand-vaccination methods,” the researchers say. “This approach has the potential to improve vaccine compliance, biosecurity and overall animal welfare in commercial swine operations using emerging technology being examined for application in the industry.”
This study was funded by the SHIC Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, in partnership with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Pork Checkoff.
Find the industry summary for project #23-052 on this page.Read More: Needleless Vaccination: What’s the Impact on Pain and Stress in Pigs?
