Preventing E. coli outbreaks requires a lot of effort and increased oversight of routine production practices.
By Dr. Henry Johnson, Swine Vet Center Industry-wide increase in E. coli outbreaks As the swine industry has heightened the focus on meat quality delivered to the customer, the number of duroc sired grow-finish pigs has increased dramatically over recent years. Our observations are that these pigs have been more challenging to get started on grain diets which becomes a risk for more frequent E. coli outbreaks. Across the pig producers and certainly within our practice the frequency of E. coli outbreaks has risen, recently. In addition, antimicrobial therapy has become more challenging specifically for F18 E. coli, a strain of E. coli that can cause high mortality in many cases. Below are three areas that we continue to stress to producers as a focus on how to best prevent the number of E. coli outbreaks in their system. Start with high-quality weaned pig The first, and most obvious part of a good start is to wean pigs that are health stable. Any active health challenges at the time of weaning hinders pigs in the already difficult task of transitioning from a milk diet to a corn and soy-based diet. High impact diseases like Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) as well as other pathogens like Rotavirus, coccidia, Influenza A virus, etc. can provide a great opportunity for E. coli growth and infection to occur in the small intestine. Barn sanitation It seems like a simple one but one of the often-overlooked areas is making sure nursery and wean to finish sites are ready to receive newly weaned pigs is complete barn sanitation. E. coli can survive, especially in left-over organic material. To ensure that this process is done correctly every time it helps to assign a person within your team to audit all sites prior to filling. This has made a dramatic difference when implemented in systems that routinely deal with E. coli outbreaks.
Common areas missed that increase the risk of E. coli challenge are: • Is the correct feed in the bin? Late nursery diets or late finishing diets in the case of wean to finish that pigs have to “eat through” before getting the correct diet will cause E. coli challenges to occur • Has all organic material/feces been removed from the slats, feeders, and waters? • Is the office, loadout area, boots, clothing, panels all cleaned? • Has disinfectant from the barn clean-up been removed from the feeders and cup waterers? Several producers will use a leaf blower to blow out all cup waters and feeders In addition to disinfecting each site, several producers have added another layer to the sanitation process by using hydrated lime (whitewash) to coat the entire floor and gating surfaces throughout the entire barn after disinfecting. Whitewash, which has an elevated pH level which reduces bacterial/viral pathogen load remaining in the barn. Creating a comfortable environment for the pig Many of the barns we see pigs placed in today can provide an excellent environment for every weaned pig. Although, when not managed appropriately, a poor environment will contribute greatly to E. coli-related disease. The most common ventilation mistakes I observe post-weaning is that a barn is moving too much air, has insufficient inlet opening, or barn temperature is too low. When any of these three areas are out of adjustment it will cause disruption in the pigs eating patterns and lead the pigs becoming more susceptible to disease. The best early pig environments are warm and dry with all the pigs laying next to each other (but not on top of each other) and good activity throughout the barn and at the feeder prior to beginning daily chores. Summary Preventing E. coli outbreaks requires a lot of effort and increased oversight of routine production practices. The key is to come up with a system where every site/producer is held accountable to have the barn cleaned and ready for pigs. When it comes to E. coli, no antibiotic treatment or vaccine will overcome for poor sanitation or environment.
Dr. Johnson is a veterinarian with the Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn. He works with numerous family farms, focusing on training production staff in their important role in animal care. He also actively mentors the next generation of swine veterinarians.
