Morrison Swine Innovator Prize Winner Takes a Deeper Look at Lawsonia
If you’re curious about the future of veterinarian technology, rest assured it looks bright.
Eight finalists competed for the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize at the 2022 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference during “Clinical Cases and Problem-Solving Skills by DVM Students.”
The purpose of this opportunity is to support DVM students who want to specialize in swine, facilitate networking with industry leaders and inspire innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. Morrison’s mantra, “Learn. Teach. Have fun.” is put to work through this annually anticipated event that allows students to do just that.
The winner of this year’s prize, Hunter Everett, presented “Impact of Lawsonia intracellularis maternally derived antibodies on the serological response post-vaccination.” Everett, a third-year North Carolina State University veterinary student, wanted to take a deeper look into ileitis because of how impactful of a disease it can be and how often it still shows up in farms around the country.
“I hoped I could shed some light on prevention and management strategies,” he says.
He chose this topic because there isn’t much information available about maternal antibodies for ileitis being passed from sow to pigs, including the impact those antibodies could have on vaccination in wean pigs.
“We found out that the most effective vaccination protocols in terms of antibody response was a split dose vaccine program using an injectable ileitis vaccine where the second dose is given three weeks after the first dose. We also learned that both a split dose and single dose vaccine reduced fecal shedding levels regardless of maternal antibody status,” Everett says.
He encourages producers to look for ileitis in their herds downstream.
“If you see issues, have a conversation with your vet about evaluating or implementing a vaccine program that would work for your flow or system to keep your pigs as healthy as possible,” Everett advises.
Perle Zhitnitskiy, chair of the program, says, “Every year we are impressed by the quality of the students’ presentations, it is a hard task for the jury to select one single student. From innovative ways to check a sow’s temperature to ileitis vaccination, the projects are relevant to the swine industry and there is always some good information to take back to the barn. The Morrison Swine Innovator Prize is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year and we are proud to help support the next generation of swine veterinarians.”
Other competitors include:
Brenna Werner, University of Minnesota, with “Evaluation of cleanliness in weaned pig load-out process using a fluorescent powder”
Sarah Albers, University of Wisconsin-Madison, with “Evaluation of cleaning and disinfecting protocols to eliminate porcine enteric coronaviruses in nursery facilities”
Mallory Wilhelm, Iowa State University, with “The future of the farm: Combating the industry labor crisis”
Carly Bates, Iowa State University, with “The future of wean pig sampling: Why not rope knot?!”
Megan Neveau, Iowa State University, with “Analysis of IAV transmission in large U.S. production systems using active surveillance”
Kaci Way, The Ohio State University, with “Evaluation of rectal and contactless infrared thermometers on body temperature in lactating sows and differences in temperature location”
Austin Janssen, Iowa State University, with “Surveillance of Brachyspira hampsonii prevalence in previously negative flows”
More from the Leman Conference:
Fill Your Nursery Site in Fewer Groups to Maximize Pig Exit Weight
Pork Industry Steps Up to Address Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity
Biosecurity: Are We Adding Hazards Faster Than Control Measures?
Say That Again: Favorite Moments from Day One of the Leman Conference
