Laboratory Investigation Targets Streptococcus Infections

The Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network, Prairie Diagnostic Services in Saskatoon and Veterinary Diagnostic Services in Winnipeg are collaborating on a laboratory investigation aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of Streptococcus associated infections

The Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network has allocated resources to look at emerging issues, either new diseases or diseases that cause ongoing problems, and the first investigation is on Streptococcus suis.

CWSHIN Manager Dr. Jette Christensen says the laboratories frequently see various strains of Streptococcus

“It causes clinical disease, it causes mortality out in the herds so it’s more a question of how can we improve our treatment and control of the disease“

 

“We had about 600 cases both in 2019 and in 2020.

“That was sort of a shift upwards from the previous years, so we’ve been keeping an eye on Streptococci for the last year or so.

“We do know that Streptococcus suis, especially, is the most frequent one that we’ve seen at laboratories.

“It causes clinical disease, it causes mortality out in the herds so it’s more a question of how can we improve our treatment and control of the disease.

“We need to know a little bit more about exactly what subtype of Streptococcus suis is out there, where they are and there’s another Streptococci, equi zooepidemicus that has caused high mortality in a handful of herds as well as on assembly yards and at slaughter where you have suddenly a high sow mortality, again since 2019.

“So, these two specific Streptococci, we’re really interested in learning a little more about what the subtypes are, where they are and especially how can we treat them.”

Dr. Christensen says information compiled through this effort will be used to create a database that will provide information to help practitioners and producers plan treatment and potentially in the development of vaccines that will target specific subtypes.

Farmscape is a presentation of Wonderworks Canada Inc.