Persistence, excretion and efficacy of an attenuated Salmonella vaccine in suckling piglets

The aim of the study was to investigate the use of the orally applicated attenuated Salmonella vaccine Salmoporc (R) in suckling piglets (3. days old), already licensed for runners and fattening pigs. In particular, the tolerance, colonisation kinetics, humoral immune response, protection against challenge infection and a possible interference of maternal antibodies on the success of vaccination have been investigated. Our study shows that oral application of Salmoporc (R) to three-day-old suckling piglets in combination with the oral vaccination at the time of weaning is very well tolerated and irrespective of the immune status of the sows also suitable to induce a protective immune response. This immune response is able to prevent clinical symptoms of salmonellosis and significantly reduces the colonization of internal organs and the excretion of the S. Typhimurium strain in faeces. Our results further show, that the vaccination of three days old piglets with Salmoporc (R) has no effect on the results of serological tests within the frame of Salmonella-monitoring.