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New BI Vaccine Allows Very Early Vaccination of Piglets Against Swine Flu

New BI Vaccine Allows Very Early Vaccination of Piglets Against Swine Flu

Mar 09, 2018PAO-M03-18-NI-010

Piglets just one day old can be protected against influenza A
virus (IAV-S).

Infection with the influenza A virus in swine (IAV-S) can have a significant impact on both productivity and profitability, according to an executive at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). The company estimates that an uncomplicated IAV-S infection can lead to an estimated loss of more than $3 per pig, while an IAV-S infection in combination with other concurrent infections can cause losses greater than $10 per pig. 

To help the industry prevent these losses, BI has developed the first live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for growing pigs. Ingelvac Provenza provides protection against the threat of influenza virus strains H1N2 and H3N21 and can be administered to piglets that are as young as one-day old. 

It takes just 3-4 seconds to treat a pig, and the vaccine is administered intranasally, providing protection at the site of natural IAV-S infection. “Vaccinating pigs as young as one day old provides protection before pigs are most vulnerable,” said. Dr. Christa Goodell, DVM, MS, Ph.D., Dipl ACVPM, technical manager for the Boehringer Ingelheim U.S. Swine Business. 

She added that in addition to providing protection when it is most needed, Ingelvac Provenza offers cross-protection against multiple IAV-S strains and decreases nasal shedding, which reduces the likelihood of transmission.