Researchers at the University of Minnesota are looking to help pork producers better manage rotavirus A.
PhD student Frances Shepherd says the disease is commonly controlled by exposing pregnant sows to the live virus, which generates maternal immunity that protects piglets.
“The positives of using planned exposure like this is that it’s pretty easy to customize what you’re vaccinating or immunizing your sows with on your farm. But the downsides, so to speak, are that it’s fairly risky (because) you’re already using live virus.”
She tells Brownfield producers don’t want rotavirus circulating throughout their farrowing barns, and there’s also the risk of unwanted pathogens being introduced.
