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Additional file 3: Table 3. Logistic regression model for clinical and laboratory variables related to killing or death of newborn piglets dying until day 5 of age. Ref: reference category, OR: Odds Ratio Estimate, CI: confidence limits. p: level attained for the statistical test associated (aGeneral p-value Wald’s Chi²-Test; bp-value Wald’s Chi²-Test to the reference category).

Additional file 2: Table 2. Logistic regression model for clinical variables related to piglets that spontaneously died until day 5 of age. Ref: reference category, OR: Odds Ratio Estimate, CI: confidence limits. p: level attained for the statistical test associated (aGeneral p-value Wald’s Chi²-Test; bp-value Wald’s Chi²-Test to the reference category).

Additional file 1: Table 1. Logistic regression model for clinical variables related to piglets that were killed until day 5 of age. Ref: reference category, OR: Odds Ratio Estimate, CI: confidence limits. p: level attained for the statistical test associated (aGeneral p-value Wald’s Chi²-Test; bp-value Wald’s Chi²-Test to the reference category).

Descriptive results of all farm characteristics-factors and on-farm indicators.

Diagramme

Results of uni- and multifactorial analyses for all health scores and farm characteristics.

Diagramme

International audience; Because of the rising threat from antimicrobial resistance, pig farmers are strongly encouraged to reduce antimicrobial usage. Alternative measures have to be implemented, but little is known about their effectiveness and return on investment. The objective of this study was to assess, across four countries, the technical and economic impact of interventions to reduce antimicrobial usage while implementing alternative measures. An intervention study was conducted between February 2014 and August 2015 in 70 farrow-to-finish pig farms located in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden. Herd-specific interventions were defined together with the farmer and the herd veterinarian. Farms were followed for one year and their antimicrobial use, as well as technical performance, was compared with values from the year before the intervention. Change in net farm profit was estimated in a subset of 33 farms from France and Belgium with sufficient data, using a production economic model. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore parameters mostly influencing the change in net farm profit. After intervention, a substantial reduction in antimicrobial use was achieved without negative impact on average performance. A median reduction of 47.0% of antimicrobial treatment incidence from birth to slaughter was obtained, corresponding to a 30.5% reduction of antimicrobial expenditures. Mortality, daily weight gain (DWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) did not significantly change, whereas the number of weaned piglets per sow slightly increased. The median change in net farm profit was estimated to be EUR4.46/sow/year (Q25-Q75:-32.54; 80.50). This was more influenced by a change in DWG and FCR than by the intervention cost or the change in antimicrobial expenditures. Therefore, costs of alternative measures to reduce antimicrobial usage should not be perceived as a barrier, but rather as an opportunity to optimise production practices for sustained productivity and improved animal health.

International audience; Introduction: The reduction of antimicrobial usage is especially a focus in modern pig production across countries. In order to move towards corrective actions, the objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of potential alternatives to reduce antimicrobial usage at herd level. Materials and Methods: In a prospective study, 67 pig herds with at least 100 sows and 500 fattening pigs located in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden were recruited to implement intervention plans to reduce their antimicrobial usage. Alternative measures included the improvement of external or internal biosecurity (n=21 herds), vaccination (n=32), changes made to feed or waterquality or composite (e.g. zinc oxide) (n=42) and improved herd management (e.g. reduced density) (n=42). Herds were followed over one year and visited at least three times by the researcher together with the herd attending veterinarian. Annual antimicrobial expenditures were collected and compared to those of the year before intervention. Antimicrobial usage was measured as the treatment incidence (TI) and subsequently calculated by age category, antimicrobial class and administration route. Results: Compliance with the initial intervention plans was high (86%), meaning that most of the farmers realized the implementation of predefined measures. Compared to the year before intervention, antimicrobial usage was significantly reduced following the implementation of alternative measures. In the median herd of the four countries, pigs were treated before intervention during 50 days from birth to their slaughter (i.e. 25% of an expected lifespan of 200 days), and after intervention during 32 days (i.e. 16%). Especially, the treatment incidence of suckling and weaning pigs was significantly reduced (by 37% and 54%, respectively). The usage of tetracyclines and polymyxines also significantly decreased. Although the reduction was not significant, the TI of critically important antimicrobials (i.e. fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins) was reduced. Treatment via feed and water, as well as parenteral treatment significantly reduced by 46% and 36%, respectively. Herds with a higher antimicrobial usage before intervention could achieve a bigger reduction. Conclusion: Following tailor-made implementation of alternative measures, the reduction of antimicrobial usage in pig production is achievable. The reduction of the treatment incidence in the youngest age group (suckling and weaning pigs) and the reduction of group treatments via feed and water appear to be in line with the recent Guidelines on the prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine (European Commission, 2015)

International audience; Introduction: The global development and spread of antimicrobial resistance is largely driven by the extensive use of antimicrobials both in human and animal medicine. Within livestock production, pig husbandry has been identified as one of the main consumers of antimicrobials. To allow for the development of plans for antimicrobial usages reduction, first a detailed understanding of the current use and its associations with animal health and production characteristics is required. Materials and Methods: We studied the antimicrobial use in 227 pig herds originating from 4 European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden) and its association with animal health, production, biosecurity and other disease prevention measures. Each farm was visited once to collect detailed information on the antimicrobial consumption, internal and external biosecurity, technical performances, health characteristics and vaccination practices. A causal path was designed to study associations between biosecurity status, antimicrobial usage, and production parameters. Results: Huge differences in antimicrobial use were observed within and between countries with an average treatment incidence from birth till slaughter of 243 in Germany (42 for the sows), in Belgium 143 (16 for sows), in France 108 (22 for sows) and in Sweden 23 (11 for sows). These results indicate that an average fattener was treated 10 times more with antimicrobials in Germany than in Sweden. As the biosecurity is concerned, Sweden had on average the highest total biosecurity status (63.7), followed by Germany (63.0), France (58.6) and Belgium (57.8) In all countries external biosecurity scored higher compared to internal biosecurity. It was found that antimicrobial usage in sows was significantly associated with the antimicrobial usage from birth till slaughter in the growers, the use of anti-inflammatory products in weaners and the number of pathogens vaccinated against, suggesting an overall higher disease pressure. Higher antimicrobial usage from birth till slaughter was associated with a shorter farrowing rhythm and a younger weaning age, whereas a better external biosecurity was related with a lower antimicrobial usage. A higher external biosecurity was associated with more weaned piglets per sow per year. Conclusion: Overall the study showed high variation both in antimicrobial usage, biosecurity and management practices indicating substantial room for improvement. Moreover some cross country associations were identified allowing for potential interventions such as using a longer farrowing rhythm, weaning of the piglets at an older age and improvement of the biosecurity status

International audience; Veterinary antimicrobial (AM) usage should be reduced to mitigate the development of AM resistance. This study investigated factors that influence pig farmers’ intention to reduce AM usage and veterinarians’ reported reduction behaviour; these are a prerequisite for actual behaviour. A survey was conducted among 1,294 pig farmers and 334 veterinarians in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland to assess the perceived risks, benefits and need of AM usage, potential for AM usage reduction, farmers’ self-efficacy (i.e. perceived own abilities to reduce AM usage), relation with farmers as clients and support from veterinarian. Farmers’ self-efficacy and perceived feasibility of AM usage reduction were the main predictors of farmers’ intention to reduce AM usage and veterinarians’ reduction behaviour, respectively. To promote prudent AM usage, pig farmers need to learn how to control their AM usage by applying alternative measures, whereas veterinarians should strengthen their advisory role to support and educate farmers

Using an interactive, case- and web-based tutorial “CASUS - Learning with virtual patients” veterinary students are enabled testing their individual learning success as well as preparing themselves for practical procedures and exams. At the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], InVeST 2015: International Veterinary Simulation in Teaching Conference

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For swine dysentery, which is caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae infection and is an economically important disease in intensive pig production systems worldwide, a perfect or error-free diagnostic test ("gold standard") is not available. In the absence of a gold standard, Bayesian latent class modelling is a well-established methodology for robust diagnostic test evaluation. In contrast to risk factor studies in food animals, where adjustment for within group correlations is both usual and required for good statistical practice, diagnostic test evaluation studies rarely take such clustering aspects into account, which can result in misleading results. The aim of the present study was to estimate test accuracies of a PCR originally designed for use as a confirmatory test, displaying a high diagnostic specificity, and cultural examination for B. hyodysenteriae. This estimation was conducted based on results of 239 samples from 103 herds originating from routine diagnostic sampling. Using Bayesian latent class modelling comprising of a hierarchical beta-binomial approach (which allowed prevalence across individual herds to vary as herd level random effect), robust estimates for the sensitivities of PCR and culture, as well as for the specificity of PCR, were obtained. The estimated diagnostic sensitivity of PCR (95% CI) and culture were 73.2% (62.3; 82.9) and 88.6% (74.9; 99.3), respectively. The estimated specificity of the PCR was 96.2% (90.9; 99.8). For test evaluation studies, a Bayesian latent class approach is well suited for addressing the considerable complexities of population structure in food animals.