Taking the guesswork out of Mhp diagnostics
STOMP PLUS now provides even more value to pork producers and veterinarians
STOMP PLUS now offers more robust diagnostic sampling plans and diagnostic analysis, interpretation and summary of results. These services are critical to pork producers understanding Mhp disease dynamics and they provide a scientific basis for decisions around interventions, vaccines and medications.
“With STOMP PLUS, we start with a specific question that needs to be answered, as diagnostics shouldn’t be a fishing expedition. This more focused approach informs the development of a targeted diagnostic sampling plan. It’s a comprehensive program that helps guide our efforts to define the challenge better and gather diagnostic data to determine our path forward,” said Dr. Eva Jablonski, senior technical services veterinarian with Zoetis Pork.
“We want to drill down not just to the disease itself, but also to the extent and magnitude of the disease, as well as identify likely coinfections or other contributing factors.”Our Ann Hess recently sat down with Dr. Jablonski to find out more.
Q1. Eva, over the years, I’ve heard of the Zoetis STOMP Plus service, but why don’t you give our listeners a better understanding of what this Zoetis service offers and how pork producers and veterinarians can utilize it?
A: Of course – STOMP PLUS is our unique comprehensive diagnostic service focused on helping producers and veterinarians identify and monitor specific pathogens responsible for disease outbreaks in their operations. STOMP PLUS also supports veterinarians in providing evidence-based rationale for the responsible use of antibiotics targeting specific pathogens.
Our STOMP PLUS program is supported and managed by the Zoetis Technical Services team – a team that is uniquely qualified in this area with decades of experience and expertise.
Q2. How does a producer get started?
A: We believe that diagnostics should not be a “fishing expedition.” So, the STOMP PLUS approach starts with a specific question you need answered, guiding the development of a targeted diagnostic sampling plan to answer that question.
From there, we coordinate with Iowa State University, University of Minnesota or the lab of your choice to run the diagnostic assays and pay for them. If you need help with collecting the samples or training service personnel to collect samples, we can do that, too.
After the results are in, our team helps you interpret the results, in order to identify patterns, trends, and disease-state classification of farms or groups of pigs. Finally, we’ll develop highly visual diagnostic summary reports that are easy to understand for all stakeholders and decision-makers.
Q3. Eva, how is this service different from what other animal health companies offer in the diagnostic area?
Typically, other companies are just paying for the diagnostic tests. STOMP PLUS is much more than “free diagnostics.” We consider paying for diagnostics “table stakes” for any animal health company.
What differentiates STOMP PLUS are these three pillars – the diagnostic plan, the expert consultative interpretation and the highly visual summary report in a single document. Veterinarians can spend less time preparing and more time communicating the herd health story.
Q4. So, I know Zoetis has recently introduced Mhp Guardian…but can you briefly explain what that program is and when Stomp Plus, as a diagnostic service, is utilized within that program?
Of course, Ann. We recently introduced the Mhp Guardian program, which is the industry’s first comprehensive Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae – or Mhp management program that helps producers move their herds into a negative or more stable status and helps keep them there. It’s a personalized, customized approach that’s built around four key steps – three of which require diagnostic support, which is where STOMP PLUS comes into play.
So, Step 1 is: establishing herd status, Step 3: implementing intervention strategies, and Step 4: monitoring intervention outcomes.
In Step 1, we are establishing herd status. The specific diagnostic question here is what is the extent of Mhp in the replacement gilt population and the breeding herd? And does gilt status match the breeding herd status?
Our recommendation is to collect deep tracheal swabs from 80 animals – 30 replacement gilts, either just before shipping out from the GDU or <1 week after arrival to the sow farm, and then 50 breeding herd samples, typically split between P0 late-gestation gilts, P1 sows and P2+ sows. Once the samples are collected, we recommend pooling by five within parity groups for Mhp PCR testing.
Here is an example of the visual summary chart that would be created with the diagnostic results. On the x-axis, we have sample pools labeled by parity. On the y-axis, we have Mhp PCR Ct values. Green bars are negative pools. Orange and blue are positive pools, with orange being higher Ct values (above 30) and blue being Ct values <30.
These results are typical of what we see when an Mhp-positive sow herd receives Mhp-negative gilts. The gestating P0 gilts are highly Mhp-positive going into farrowing/lactation, while the mature breeding herd (P1, P2, etc.) have generally become Mhp-negative. This herd would be classified as an Mhp uncontrolled positive herd, as it is likely producing groups of Mhp-positive weaned pigs.
Q5. Eva, you also mentioned that STOMP PLUS is important to Step 3. Can you give us an example?
Of course. An example of how STOMP PLUS fits into step 3 is when we are determining optimal timing of medication interventions for Mhp control.
The example that I’ll share is around Lincomix in grow-finish pig populations. Lincomix is labeled for the reduction in the severity of the effects of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae when fed 100–200 grams per ton of complete feed for 21 days.
To properly time a Lincomix pulse, the diagnostic question that must be answered is when are most pigs becoming infected with Mhp? Our recommendation is to collect serum from at least 10 animals across different ages of the same pig flow in a cross-sectional manner (typically 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 weeks of age). Once the samples are collected, we recommend running a Tween-20 ELISA on individual samples, no pooling of samples.
These diagnostic results will pinpoint when a significant percent of the population has seroconverted. Seroconversion is the point in time when antibodies can be detected. Based on antibody detection, we can calculate the shedding period, which is 5–6 weeks before seroconversion.
Q6. Why is medication timing so important for Mhp?
Good question. Here’s an example of two Lincomix medication programs compared to no Lincomix. On the x-axis, we have pig age ranging from nursery to slaughter. On the y-axis is the pathogen load or how much Mhp those pigs are currently challenged with. The threshold level between the grey and white is when clinical signs appear, coughing and slower-growing pigs.
In orange, you’ll see a natural exposure model where the Mhp load increases over time in a grow-finish population and causes clinical disease by mid-finishing. The green trendline is an example where Lincomix is used in the nursery period, and likely, too early. Although the Mhp load dips down low, since Lincomix is only fed for 21 days, Mhp will creep back up during the finishing phase, as Lincomix can only be fed for 21 days at a time. The blue trendline is an example of a properly timed Lincomix pulse. Lincomix is still administered before clinical signs of Mhp are apparent, yet, it is very effective at suppressing Mhp through slaughter.
Here’s another diagnostic summary chart that would be created. The ones shown here are an example only. On the x-axis, we have weeks of age. On the y-axis, we have percent of pigs that are seropositive, meaning they have detectable Mhp antibodies.
In this example data, a significant number of pigs are seroconverting at 18 weeks of age. Keeping in mind that we want to place Lincomix 5–6 weeks before seroconversion in subsequent groups of the same pig flow, Lincomix should be placed between 12–15 weeks of age in this example.
Q7. Ok, we’ve talked about Step 1 and 3 of the MHP Guardian program, you also mentioned its role in Step 4, monitoring interventions?
In Step 4, we have implemented an intervention strategy and now want to ensure a successful outcome. The example I am sharing here is post-elimination. The specific diagnostic question here is can we confirm the elimination was successful? Are incoming gilts remaining Mhp-negative?
We know that after an elimination, all replacement gilts entering should be Mhp-negative, and can serve as sentinel gilts. We recommend collecting deep tracheal swabs from at least 60 gilts 60 days after arrival at the farm and pooling by 5 for PCR testing.
The downside of this approach is waiting 60 days to assess whether your herd closure and elimination program was successful. An alternative approach is to re-test the sow herd after the breeding herd medication in a protocol similar to what we did in Step 1 to establish herd status.
Step 4 Sentinel Gilt Testing
Here is another example of the summary charts that would be created with the diagnostic results from sentinel gilts. If an elimination program is successful, all sentinel gilt pools will be negative, as demonstrated in this chart.
Q8. Eva, you’ve shared a lot of good information today – what do you most want producers to remember when it comes to STOMP PLUS?
Ann, I think the most important thing to remember is that STOMP PLUS is so much more than just paying for diagnostics – it also includes robust diagnostic sampling plans and diagnostic analysis, interpretation and summary of results, and the support of one of the most experienced Technical Services teams in the industry.
And although STOMP PLUS can support numerous disease management diagnostic programs, it’s especially critical to pork producers in understanding Mhp disease dynamics and provides a scientific basis for decisions around interventions, vaccines and medications. It’s a critical component of our new Mhp Guardian management program.
Q9. So, before we go, how can Zoetis customers and their veterinarians learn more about STOMP PLUS or even start a Zoetis STOMP PLUS project? What’s the first step in the process?
We’d love for you to reach out to us. Producers can contact their Zoetis rep or their Zoetis Technical Services veterinarian directly. If you are working with a veterinarian, they can also reach out to us. We’ll start with the diagnostic question and formulate a plan that will answer it.
You can also read more about STOMP PLUS by going to Zoetispork.com.
This article is sponsored by Zoetis.
