EFFECT OF AN INACTIVATED PARAPOXVIRUS BASED IMMUNOMODULATOR (BAYPAMUN) ON POST-WEANING DIARRHEA SYNDROME AND WASTING PIG SYNDROME OF PIGLETS

Post weaning diarrhoea syndrome (PWDS) and wasting pig syndrome (WPS) are two entities of the pig industry induced by stress factors occurri ng at the early weaning and further complicated by opportunistic patho gens. In the present paper we examine through one pilot and one final trial - whether prevention of these two syndromes can be achieved in t he field by immunomodulation of the pig e.g., by improving its non-spe cific immunological response. In both trials two groups of early weane d piglets were submitted to the treatments. In the pilot trial the fir st group received no treatment and served as controls and the animals of the second group were injected twice with an inactivated Parapoxvir us based immunomodulator (Baypamun, Bayer, Germany). In the final tria l the first group of piglets received no treatment and served as a con trol group. The animals of the second group were injected twice with a freeze-dried immunomodulator (Baypamun). Piglets were compared with r egard to the severity of PWS, mortality, growth performance parameters , and for the presence of pathogens in their faeces. The results have shown that Baypamun treated piglets performed significantly better tha n negative control piglets in all the parameters examined. It was conc luded that stimulation of the non-specific immunity of piglets may be helpful in preventing the appearance of PWDS and WPS in the field.