Longitudinal assessment of two Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in challenged and contact-exposed pigs.

The objective of the current study was to compare the sensitivity of 2 Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in experimentally challenged and contact-exposed pigs in a long-term longitudinal assessment. On day 0 of the assessment, twelve 2-month-old M. hyopneumoniae-negative pigs were inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae strain 232 (group A). Twelve negative pigs were placed alongside the inoculated pigs, allowing direct contact exposure (group B). A third group of 12 pigs was allocated into 2 independent pens; no direct contact was allowed (group C). A longitudinal serologic profile was performed; samples were collected on days 0, 28, 35, 42, 49, 63, 91, 119, 154, and 170 of the study. Serum samples were tested using a blocking ELISA and an indirect ELISA. Results of the study demonstrated higher sensitivity of the blocking ELISA during early infection (clinical signs). Both ELISAs were 100% sensitive in challenged and naturally infected groups at several testing points during late infection (63, 91, 119, 154, and 170 days of the study) and showed a long antibody detection period. Both tests worked equally well during the chronic phase of infection but the blocking ELISA was more sensitive during acute stages of infection.

Comparative efficacy of two single-dose bacterins in the control of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in swine raised under commercial conditions in Brazil.

A field study was conducted in Brazil to evaluate the efficacy of single vaccination of pigs with two bacterins to prevent Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae lung lesions. The first (T1) treatment group (174 pigs) was injected with 2 mL of saline solution; group T2 (177 pigs) with 2 mL of bacterin A, and group T3 (174 pigs) with 2 mL of bacterin B. On days-on-test (DOT) 0, 35, 66, 97 and 125, blood samples and tonsil swabs were collected from selected pigs for antibody determination (indirect ELISA) and PCR assay for the presence of M. hyopneumoniae. Pigs were slaughtered on DOT 126-129 and lung lesions were scored blindly. Bacterin A vaccinated pigs had significantly (P < or = 0.05) lower lung lesion scores (0.2%) than bacterin B (0.4%) or saline-treated pigs (1.2%); there was also a significantly lower (P < or = 0.05) number of pigs with lung lesions (27.1%), than bacterin B (38.2%) or saline-treated (55.4%) pigs. The two vaccines had similar (P>0.05) results in terms of mean weight gain, average daily weight gain, feed efficiency, frequency of PCR positives, and there was similar antibody conversion (ELISA). It was concluded that although the productivity parameters and antibody conversions were similar, bacterin A was more effective in preventing and reducing the severity of lung lesions than bacterin B.