Kansas State University researchers have developed what appears to be a promising vaccine against Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2), a prevalent disease in swine herds in the United States.

The trial results showed that in the finisher phase, the mortality rate for vaccinated pigs was 50 percent less than for unvaccinated pigs and that the growth rate for vaccinated pigs increased by about 10 percent. Results also showed that the average market weight for vaccinated pigs was about 20 pounds heavier for the same number of days to market when compared to unvaccinated pigs.

In a separate study of the vaccine in a commercial research finishing barn, mortality, growth rate and feed efficiency improvements were calculated to result in a benefit of $3.94 per pig.

Further studies are planned to verify the economical feasibility of the vaccine in infected herds with lower mortality rates.
Source: Kansas State University