# Efficacy of a New Commercial Vaccine Against Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens Type A for Recurrent Swine Neonatal Diarrhea Under Field Conditions

## TL;DR

A new vaccine reduces neonatal diarrhea in piglets caused by Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens type A, improving growth and reducing antibiotic use.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the efficacy of a new commercial vaccine against Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens type A in reducing neonatal diarrhea in piglets under field conditions.

## Key findings

- Vaccinated piglets had higher average daily weight gain and greater body weight at weaning.
- The vaccine reduced the incidence of diarrhea and the need for antibiotic treatments in piglets.
- No significant differences in pre-weaning mortality were observed between vaccinated and control groups.

## Abstract

Neonatal diarrhea in piglets, caused by Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens type A, leads to economic losses in pig production by reducing growth rates and increasing piglet mortality and treatment costs. This study aimed to test a new commercial vaccine against these bacteria to reduce diarrhea and improve piglet growth. The research was conducted on two farms with recurring diarrhea outbreaks and showed that vaccinating pregnant sows produced piglets with higher growth rates, greater body weight, and fewer underweight at weaning. No differences in pre-weaning mortality were detected. It also led to a lower incidence of diarrhea in piglets and reduced the need for antibiotic treatments. Thus, the vaccine offers valuable benefits to farmers by reducing economic losses and promoting better animal health.

Neonatal diarrhea causes significant economic losses in swine production by reducing average daily weight gain (ADWG) and increasing piglet mortality, with Clostridioides difficile (CD) and Clostridium perfringens type A (CPA) being the most common causes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new commercial vaccine against these agents to minimize diarrhea, pre-weaning mortality, and its negative consequences on weight performance in suckling piglets under field conditions. The study consisted of two randomized, double-blind, negative-controlled field trials (Study A and B) focusing on clinically healthy pregnant sows from commercial pig farms experiencing recurrent neonatal diarrhea. In the meta-analysis of both farms, the control group showed lower performance compared to the vaccine group (least squares means differences) for ADWG (−14.5 g/day, p < 0.001), body weight (−0.33 kg, p < 0.001), and underweight piglets at weaning (6.94%, p = 0.011). The number of piglets with diarrhea (9.76%, p < 0.001) and the percentage of piglets treated with antibiotics for diarrhea (6.09%, p = 0.016) were lower in vaccinated animals compared to controls. No significant differences in pre-weaning mortality were observed. The results of this study suggest that the new commercial vaccine against CD and CPA reduces the incidence of neonatal diarrhea and the associated use of antibiotics, while positively impacts the growth performance of suckling piglets.