Table 3 Independent X-variables assessed via telephone interview with veterinarians and farmers using a PCV2 vaccine in piglets prior to official release to the market

General herd characteristics

Production type

Farrow to finish

47.1

107

Farrow to nursery

26.9

61

Only nursery

1.3

3

Nursery and fattening

6.6

15

Only fattening

18.1

41

Herd size/Sows^a

≤500

78.0

131

>500

20.8

35

n.a.

1.2

2

Herd size/Fattening pigs ^b

≤500

14.7

24

501 - 2,000

60.7

99

>2,000

21.5

35

n.a.

3.1

5

Sow management ^a

Acclimatisation of gilts^a

Yes

61.7

103

No

11.4

19

Own re-breeding

21.0

35

n.a.

6.0

10

Farrowing rhythm^a

1-week

42.9

72

2-week

20.8

35

3-week

20.8

35

Other

15.5

26

Storage of production data^a

Electronic

89.3

150

Hand written

10.1

17

Nothing

0.6

1

AIAO in the farrowing units^a

Yes

91.1

153

No

8.9

15

Vaccination of sows [S] and gilts [G] against^a

PRRSV [S]

77.8

130

PRRSV [G]

79.6

133

PCV2 [S]

13.2

22

PCV2 [G]

26.4

44

Swine influenza virus

33.5

56

Porcine Parvovirus & E. rhusiopathiae

98.2

164

P. multocida

4.8

8

E. coli

24.0

40

Autogenous vaccines

21.0

35

Piglet management

Age of piglets at weaning (days)^a

21

44.1

74

22 - 42

54.8

92

n.a.

1.2

2

Age of piglets when castrated^a

≤7

95.8

161

8 - 14

4.2

7

Frequency of injecting iron^a

Once

67.9

114

Twice

32.1

54

Vaccination of piglets against^c

M. hyopneumoniae

71.9

133

using a 1-shot vaccine

40.5

75

using a 2-shot vaccine

19.5

36

n.a.

18.4

34

PRRSV

31.4

58

A. pleuropneumoniae

1.6

3

L. intracellularis

10.3

19

Autogenous vaccines

1.6

3

Management of fattening pigs

AIAO in the fattening units^b

Yes (by barn)

8.6

14

Yes (by compartment)

77.9

127

No

13.5

22

Storage of production data^b

Electronic

16.6

27

Hand written

81.0

132

No

2.5

4

Disposition of low performing pigs before restocking^b

Moving to younger pigs

9.8

16

Euthanasia

9.2

15

Hospital compartment

25.8

42

Hospital pen

33.1

54

Original pen

9.8

16

Others

12.3

20

PCV2 vaccination issues

Indication to use the vaccine (farmers' answer)

Stunted growth

59.9

136

Respiratory diseases

26.0

59

Enteritis

4.9

11

PDNS

44.5

101

Increased mortality

56.8

129

Marketing

29.1

66

Other reasons

33.5

72

Indication to use the vaccine (veterinarians' answer

Stunted growth

59.5

135

Respiratory diseases

37.0

84

Enteritis

15.4

35

PDNS

45.8

104

Increased mortality

47.6

108

Marketing

26.9

61

Other reasons

26.0

59

Duration of symptoms according to the indication before the vaccine was used for the first time (month)

<3

12.3

28

3 - 6

4.4

10

>6

75.3

171

n.a.

7.9

18

Diagnostics (other than clinical examination) before vaccination

Yes

79.7

181

No

20.3

46

Type of diagnostics

Antibody detection by ELISA

16.3

37

of these IgM - IgG ELISA

1.3

3

PCR

56.8

129

Necropsy (only gross lesions)

39.2

89

Histology

0.0

0

Immuno-histology

1.3

3

Pathogens other than PCV2 found during these examination

Respiratory pathogens excl. PRRSV

18.1

41

PRRSV or PRRSV & others

13.7

31

Sc. suis or Sc. suis & others

10.6

24

L. intracellularis & others

9.7

22

Enteric pathogens excl. L. intracellularis

4.0

9

Others

0.4

1

None

43.6

99

Herd health ranking prior to the use of the PCV2 vaccine (farmers' answer)

1 (excellent)

0.0

0

2

11.5

26

3

22.5

51

4

33.5

76

5

19.4

44

6 (unsatisfactory)

5.3

12

k. A.

7.9

18

Herd health ranking prior to the use of the PCV2 vaccine (veterinarians' answer)

1 (excellent)

0.0

0

2

11.5

26

3

25.1

57

4

35.2

80

5

15.9

36

6 (unsatisfactory)

3.1

7

k. A.

9.3

21

Time between first use of the PCV2 vaccine and the telephone interview (month)

1 - 6

13.2

30

7 - 12

73.6

167

13 - 18

11.0

25

n.a.

2.2

5

Age of piglets when vaccinated against PCV2 (days)

≤14

28.6

65

15 - 21

29.1

66

22 - 28

11.5

26

29 - 69

8.8

20

≥ 70

11.9

27

Unknown*

10.1

23

Stage of production, when pigs are vaccinated against PCV2

Suckling period

63.4

144

Nursery period

13.7

31

Fattening period

12.8

29

Suckling or nursery period*

10.1

23

Timing of vaccination

Time between PCV2_vaccination and 1^st (or 2^nd) vaccination against M. hyopneumoniae (days) ^c(farmers' answer)

0 (in parallel)

8.7

16

1 - 7

7.0

13

8 - 14

4.4

10

≥15

2.7

5

Time between PCV2_vaccination and 1^st (or 2^nd) vaccination against M. hyopneumoniae (days) ^c(veterinarians' answer)

0 (in parallel)

22.2

41

1 - 7

10.8

20

8 - 14

22.7

42

≥15

13.2

30

Time between PCV2_vaccination and PRRSV vaccination (days) ^c (farmers' answer)

0 (in parallel)

8.7

16

1 - 7

0.5

1

8 - 14

1.1

2

≥15

1.1

2

Time between PCV2_vaccination and PRRSV vaccination (days)^c (veterinarians' answer)

0 (in parallel)

18.9

35

1 - 7

6.5

12

8 - 14

3.2

6

≥15

2.7

5

Substances applied in parallel with the PCV2 vaccine on the other side of the neck

Nothing

53.3

121

M. hyopneumoniae vaccine

24.7

56

PRRSV vaccine

13.2

30

M. hyopneumoniae & PRRSV vaccine

2.2

5

Others**

6.6

15

Castration and PCV2 vaccination in parallel

No

99.6

226

Yes

0.4

1

Interruption of the PCV2 vaccination

No

92.5

210

Yes

7.5

17

Actual use of the PCV2 vaccine at the time of the interview

No

10.1

23

Yes

89.9

204

Change in the timing of PCV2 vaccination since started

No

79.7

181

Yes

14.1

32

n.a.

0.9

2

Use of other PCV2 vaccines than Ingelvac CircoFLEX® in piglets

No

87.7

199

Porcilis® PCV (MSD)

6.6

15

Suvaxyn® PCV 2 (Pfizer)

4.9

11

Circovac® (Merial)

0.9

2

Reasons for the use of other PCV2 vaccines in piglets

Out of stock

10.1

23

Insufficient efficacy

0.4

1

n.a.

1.8

4