Protecting EU pig herds
Researchers at Denmark's Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University performed a series of cross-sectional studies in order to ascertain the suitability of acute phase proteins (APP) as diagnostic tools in pigs. APP are thought to play a role in inflammation and their elevated levels could be indicative of an early disease state. The particular protein that formed the focus of the studies was porcine haptoglobin, a transport protein found in blood serum. The first study was carried out in 98 pig herds. Pigs were examined for clinical signs and haptoglobin levels and significant correlations were established. Initial indications are that serum haptoglobin might prove a promising indicator of clinical and sub-clinical disease in pigs. A further study concentrated on 340 pigs in 15 commercial Danish pig herds. Researchers measured haptoglobin levels and rectal temperatures. The aim was to use these criteria as reliable markers of clinical disease. Although a definitive cut-off value could not be obtained under the particular study parameters, it is likely that further research could yield useful observations. Providing support for this strand of research is likely to result in novel diagnostic methods to be used in veterinary medicine. The aim is to reduce waiting times and detect signs of the disease at an early enough stage, as to prevent widespread infection among herds. Such solutions will result in significant financial savings in case of infection and could thus be of importance to the food industry as a whole.
