08/03/06 New Swine Vaccine

New swine vaccine available. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Swine producers can control the impact of Erysipelas (air-is-SIP-uh-liss) and Mycoplasma Pneumonia with a new vaccine from Schering Plough Animal Health Corporation. M+Rhusigen offers a number of industry firsts for producers - but as Dr. Robyn Fleck - swine technical services manager for Schering-Plough explains - the devastating losses producers endure because of Erysipelas make this vaccine`s licensing for the control of mortality especially important. FLECK: This is the first one that is labeled for both the clinical signs of Erysipelas but also death due to Erysipelas. Being first to be labeled for control of mortality is very important because it gives producers confidence that their animals will make it all the way to the slaughter plant without being condemned or without dying from Erysipelas. Fleck says the product ensures a good immune response to the vaccination - and fewer overall reactions. FLECK: M+Rhusigen is also the first Erysipelas vaccine with Emunade® adjuvant. Emunade® adjuvant is Schering-Plough Animal Health proprietary dual adjuvant system that is both high efficacious for disease control but is also extremely safe and smooth. That animal safety - Fleck says - was confirmed by independent veterinarians and producers in field studies prior to the vaccine`s release. FLECK: We have vaccinated more than 800 pigs. We did it on 4 different sites in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. And all of the practitioners concluded that the vaccine was very safe for use in animals and said that they were excited to see this product released. Diagnosed more than a century ago - Erysipelas is carried in the tonsils of more than half of all U.S. hogs. Fleck says outbreaks can occur anytime due to a variety of conditions - ranging from rapid changes in weather patterns to sanitation issues - and can spread rapidly. She says vaccination is the only way a producer can be sure his herd is protected. FLECK: Erysipelas control is really critical because it's catastrophic and expensive and you can afford a lot of vaccine to cover up what your mortality would be. In 1989 and 2001 - U.S. producers experienced economically devastating outbreaks of Erysipelas. In 2001 - the disease reached epidemic levels in Minnesota and Iowa. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.