May 8, 2009

Australian scientists have developed a new one-shot vaccine delivery system against the endemic pig disease Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP), with the funding from Pork CRC.

Key partners in the APP-alive vaccine and vaccination procedure were the Australian Pork Farms Group, Victoria Department of Primary Industries and QAF Meat Industries.

South Australian veterinarian and piggery manager Peter McKenzie explained that the new vaccine is administered nasally to baby pigs and requires one dose.

McKenzie said the vaccine does not create disease, but an immunological response when given to the piglets of sows immune to the disease, adding that its use in piglets of sows that have not been exposed to the disease is contraindicated.

The technology has been adopted by two commercial participants of the Pork CRC through a manufacturing license agreement with ACE Laboratories, Bendigo, Victoria.

The vaccine will only be available on prescription under a special use permit through veterinarians. Other APP vaccines on the market are either sub-unit vaccines or bacterins, both requiring a two shot injection regime.