This study evaluated the immunogenicity of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in a guinea pig model to refine preclinical assessment methods. 24 guinea pigs were divided into four groups for immunohistochemical, histopathological, and molecular analyses, including qRT-PCR and ELISA. The ELISA results revealed significant elevations in interleukin 2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN- ), and tuberculosis-specific antibodies in vaccinated guinea pigs, particularly γ notable after 6 weeks. Although lung cytokine levels remained unchanged, spleen gene expression showed significant differences in interleukin-17, interleukin-12, interleukin-1β, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 after 6 weeks. Immunohistochemistry revealed peak IL-2 expression at 8 weeks and significant IFN-γ and TNF-α expression at 6 weeks. This study confirmed the effectiveness of BCG vaccine in guinea pigs, providing crucial insights for future tuberculosis vaccine development and standardizing immune response indicators.

The present study, black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) fermented using lactic acid bacteria were powdered without defatting and added to 3% or 5% to make pig feed. Weaning piglets were fed 3% (T3) or 5% (T5) feed powdered with Hermetia illucens for 5 months and the efficacy of the feed was investigated. The results of measuring body weight gain over 5 months after adding 3% (T3) or 5% (T5) of Hermetia illucens powder to the feed of weaned piglets showed significant weight gain in the T5 group compared to the control group. The added feed to Hermetia illucens powder did not show toxicity, and analysis of its effect on blood properties showed that white blood cell levels tended to increase in the T3 or T5 group compared to the control group.The only increase in white blood cell count was a change within the normal range. As a result of analyzing the effect of the level of addition of Hermetia illucens powder on feces, the effect of liquid reduction showed excellent results in the T3 treatment group and maintained the best form of feces. In this study, the thawing loss in the control group was 6.66%, and the T3 group with added powder to Hermetia illucens showed a significant decrease of 5.03%, and the T5 group also showed a decrease of 5.61%. Therefore, it was demonstrated that additive feed for Hermetia illucens reduced thawing loss, affected the water holding capacity of meat, and played an important role in maintaining the taste of meat. Moreover, the results of carcass grade showed a tendency for one grade to increase in the T3 and T5 groups fed additive feed to Hermetia illucens compared to the control group. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that feed supplemented with Hermetia illucens is effective in influencing the weight gain of pigs, reducing the liquid content of feces, and increasing carcass grade.

This study was conducted to secure basic data for developing technologies to reduce the generation of odor substances by investigating the effects of environmental temperature on growth performance and the generation of odor substances from feces in growing pigs. A total of 16 pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc, average body weight 56.49±0.47kg) were randomly assigned to two treatments: thermal-neutral (TN) and heat stress (HS) conditions. The experiments were conducted for two weeks, with average temperature-humidity indices of 68.91±0.09 for TN and 85.98±0.08 for HS. The results showed that HS significantly decreased average daily feed intake (ADFI, 33.3%) and average daily gain (ADG, 25.8%) compared with TN (p<0.05). Non-esterified fatty acid in serum was lower (36.2%) in HS compared with TN (p<0.05). However, protein, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and IgG in serum showed no difference between HS and TN. Phenol (350.0%) and skatole (416.3%) were significantly higher in HS than in TN (p<0.05). The decrease in growth performance is attributed to reduction in ADFI. The increase in phenol and skatole in HS is presumed to be due to the effect of HS on the metabolism of intestinal microbial composition. Digestion rate, intestinal microbial composition, and urine emissions are known to affect odor substances. Further research on the content of odor substances in urine, nutrient digestion rate, and intestinal microbial composition is considered necessary to determine the exact associations.

Background: Post-ovulatory aging (POA) of oocytes is related to a decrease in the quality and quantity of oocytes caused by aging. Previous studies on the characteristics of POA have investigated injury to early embryonic developmental ability, but no information is available on its effects on mitochondrial fission and mitophagy-related responses. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying mitochondrial fission and mitophagy in in vitro maturation (IVM) oocytes and a POA model based on RNA sequencing analysis. Methods: The POA model was obtained through an additional 24 h culture following the IVM of matured oocytes. NMN treatment was administered at a concentration of 25 μM during the oocyte culture process. We conducted MitoTracker staining and Western blot experiments to confirm changes in mitochondrial function between the IVM and POA groups. Additionally, comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes and associated changes in mitochondrial dynamics between porcine IVM and POA model oocytes. Results: In total, 32 common genes of apoptosis and 42 mitochondrial fission and function uniquely expressed genes were detected (≥ 1.5-fold change) in POA and porcine metaphase II oocytes, respectively. Functional analyses of mitochondrial fission, oxidative stress, mitophagy, autophagy, and cellular apoptosis were observed as the major changes in regulated biological processes for oocyte quality and maturation ability compared with the POA model. Additionally, we revealed that the activation of NAD+ by nicotinamide mononucleotide not only partly improved oocyte quality but also mitochondrial fission and mitophagy activation in the POA porcine model. Conclusions: In summary, our data indicate that mitochondrial fission and function play roles in controlling oxidative stress, mitophagy, and apoptosis during maturation in POA porcine oocytes. Additionally, we found that NAD+ biosynthesis is an important pathway that mediates the effects of DRP1-derived mitochondrial morphology, dynamic balance, and mitophagy in the POA model.

Swine influenza is a respiratory infectious disease in pigs caused by Orthomyxoviridae influenza virus A. As a multihost pathogen, the virus can infect humans, birds, and pigs and has pandemic potential due to rapid mutation rate. This study investigated the seroprevalence of influenza A antibodies in pigs in Chungbuk Province to overview its temporal and spatial distribution. From March to November 2021, blood samples collected for swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease antibody tests from swine farms located in Cheongju, Jincheon, Jeungpyeong, and Goesan within the jurisdiction of the Chungbuk Animal Health Laboratory were used. Blood samples from both sows and growing pigs were collected. Additionally, three farms participating in the Expendable Disease Guidance Support Project were chosen to investigate the seroprevalence status by parity of sows and age of piglets. A total of 468 sows and 1,519 growing-finishing pigs were employed in this study. The results showed that Jincheon had the highest seropositivity rate, suggesting that more effort should be made in biosecurity to prevent mechanical transmission, given the close proximity of farms. The analysis of antibody levels in farms targeted by the Expendable Disease Guidance Support Project could suggest that once the virus enters a farm, it spreads throughout the entire pig population regardless of age. Farms that were positive in the first half of the year remained positive in 86% of cases in the second half, suggesting continuous infection within the farm unless depopulation or all-in-all-out practices are implemented. Moreover, 67% of farms that were negative in the first half remained negative in the second half, and farms managed by the same person showed identical antibody change patterns, indicating that the swine influenza virus can be transmitted by humans or vehicles. The results highlight the need for further analysis of biosecurity systems and geographical risk factors.

Weaning stress is the most common issue in weanling pigs, and increases diarrhea and mortality. Various wavelengths of light irradiation affect the body owing to the association with biophotons. Biophotons are very weak photons in the visible light range generated during metabolic and chemical reactions in vivo. Immune mechanisms are activated by increasing signal transmission between cells through biophoton emission. This study evaluated the influence of ultra-weak light (LED) on growth performance, antioxidant status, and stress of weaned piglets. A total of 120 weaned pigs with an average initial body weight of 7.04±0.01 kg (age: 21 d) were allotted to two treatments (Control and LED) with 10 replicates. Diets prepared in pellet form were administered to the pigs in three phases including Phase 1 (0–14 d), Phase 2 (15–28 d), and Phase 3 (29–42 d). At the end of the study, the average daily gain (8.96%, p<0.05) and feed efficiency (6.56%, p<0.05) of pigs was significantly increased at phase 3 in the LED treatment. Low concentration of malondialdehyde (12.58%, p<0.05) and high concentrations of glutathione reductase (7.41%, p<0.01) and total antioxidant capacity (5.48%, p<0.05) were observed in the LED treatment at Day 42. The concentration of hair cortisol was also decreased (24.05%, p<0.05) in the LED treatment at Day 42. In conclusion, the use of LED for weanling pigs is recommended to improve growth performance by modulating antioxidant capacity and cortisol level in hair.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which affects cloven-hoofed animals, is economically important because of its highly contagious nature. FMD virus (FMDV), the causative agent of FMD, involves seven serotypes (O, A, Asia1, C, and SAT 1-3). Serotype Asia1 is unique to the Asian territory and is subdivided into nine genetic groups (G-I-IX) based on nucleotide variations in the VP1 sequence. Asia1 Shamir, the most representative Asia1 vaccine, is not highly protective against the Asia1/MOG/05 (G-V) lineage found in North Korea in 2007. Therefore, we investigated whether a chimeric virus strain (Asia1/MOG/Shamir), in which the VP4, VP2, and VP3 sequences of Asia1/MOG/05 were combined with the VP1 sequence of Asia1 Shamir, can simultaneously protect against both viruses. We determined the optimal viral growth conditions for the commercial utilization of this chimeric virus strain. Of the three types of cell culture media, the Cellvento medium resulted in the highest amount of antigen in the samples. The chimeric strain was proliferated in a small bioreactor to produce a test vaccine, and its immunogenicity was evaluated in pigs. The virus neutralization (VN) titer against the Asia1 Shamir virus was > 1/100 after the second immunization with the chimeric vaccine in pigs. In addition, a single dose of the test vaccine resulted in a VN titer of > 1/100 against the Asia1/MOG/05 strain. Taken together, our chimeric vaccine strain provided sufficient protection against the Asia1/MOG/05 and Asia1 Shamir viruses, suggesting its potential as a novel vaccine for both these strains.

Background: The regulation of maternal immunity is critical for the establishment and maintenance of successful pregnancy. Among many cell types regulating the immune system, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are known to play an important role in innate immunity. Although some reports show that ILCs are present at the maternalconceptus interface in humans and mice, the expression and function of ILCs in the endometrium have not been studied in pigs. Methods: Thus, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of ILC markers, CD127 (a common marker for ILCs), BCL11B (a ILC2 marker), and RORC (a ILC3 marker) at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. Results: The expression of BCL11B and RORC, but not CD127, in the endometrium changed during pregnancy in a stage-specific manner and the expression of CD127, BCL11B, and RORC was greatest on Day 15 during pregnancy. CD127, BCL11B, and RORC were also expressed in conceptus tissues during early pregnancy and in chorioallantoic tissues during the later stage of pregnancy. BCL11B and RORC proteins were localized to specific cells in endometrial stroma. The expression of CD127 and BCL11B, but not RORC, was increased by the increasing doses of interferon-γ (IFNG) in endometrial explants. Conclusions: These results suggest that ILCs present at the maternal-conceptus interface may play a role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating the innate immunity in pigs.

We aimed to investigate the effect of environmental enrichment via toys on the behaviour and performance of weanling pigs. A total of 300 pigs (LYD) were housed in different pens with ten pigs per replicate and ten pigs per head divided into 3 groups. Group 1 was called “CON” and received no toys, group 2 was TOY-2, and pigs in this group had access to toys in the first 2 weeks, and lastly, pigs in TOY-4 were given toys in the fourth week. The pigs had access to feed and water ad-libitum. The individual pig behaviours in each group was recorded on days 14 and 28 (d 14 and 28) with a video camera for accuracy. The results showed higher (p<0.05) overall ADG in TOY-4 compared with CON, while the overall ADFI was higher (p<0.05) in TOY-supplemented groups compared to CON. Diarrhea incidence and fecal score were lower on D 14 in TOY-supplemented groups compared with CON. Behavioural features such as ear biting and fighting were lower (p<0.05) in TOY-supplemented groups compared with CON on D 14. Tail biting was lower (p<0.05) in TOY-2 compared with CON at D 14. Conversely, at D 28, tail biting was lower (p<0.05) in TOY-4 compared with CON. The ADG improved due to the toy supplied to reduce undesirable social behaviours. We concluded that the environmental enrichment of pens with toys can help to improve the welfare in weaning pigs, leading to a greater survivability and more production thereby improving farmer incomes.

Background: Despite considerable technological advancements, polyspermy remains a significant challenge in in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures in pigs, disrupting normal embryonic development. Here, we aimed to determine whether optimal fertilization conditions reduce the polyspermy incidence in pigs. Methods: In vitro -matured oocytes were co-incubated with sperm according to a modified two-step culture system. Results: In the first experiment, oocytes were briefly co-incubated with sperm, washed in IVF medium, and then moved to fresh IVF medium for 5 or 6 h. Although the 6 h sperm-free cultured group had a higher penetration rate than the 5 h cultured group, the polyspermy rate significantly increased in the 6 h sperm-free cultured group. The gamete co-incubation period was either 20 or 40 min. The 40 min cultured group had a higher rate of blastocyst formation and number of total cells in blastocysts than the 20 min cultured group. In experiment 2, oocytes were inseminated with sperm separated by Pecroll treatment. Percoll treatment increased the rate of oocyte penetration and blastocyst formation compared to the control. In experiment 3, fertilized oocytes were cultured in 25 μL microdroplets (10 gametes/drop) or 500 μL (100 gametes/well) of culture medium in 4-well plates. The large volume of medium significantly reduced the number of dead oocytes and increased the rate of blastocyst formation compared to the small volume. Conclusions: Collectively, these results demonstrate that various fertilization conditions, including modified co-culture period, active sperm separation, and culture medium volume, enhance fertilization efficiency and subsequent embryonic development by decreasing polyspermy occurrence.

양돈산업은 돼지고기 내 웅취발생 예방을 위한 방법으 로 수컷 자돈에게 물리적 거세를 관행적으로 실시해왔다. 그러나 동물복지에 대한 관심이 고조됨에 따라 일부 국가 들에서는 고통 최소화 물리적 거세법 권장 또는 대체 방 법에 대해 연구를 수행하고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 비거세돈(EM; entire male pigs) 및 거세돈(CM; castrated male pigs)에서 이눌린의 급여가 지방조직 내 웅취물질 농도에 미치는 영향을 구명하고자 실시하였다. 시험동물 은 총 26두의 3원 교잡돈(EM, n=18; CM, n=8)을 사용하 였다. 시험 처리구는 3% 이눌린의 급여와 비급여를 설정 하여 총 4개 처리구(EM0, EM3, CM0 및 CM3)로 구성하 였다. 웅취분석을 위해 지방조직은 등지방, 목지방 및 삼 겹지방을 수집하였다. 등지방 내 인돌 농도는 EM0에 비 해 CM3에서 감소하였고(p<0.05) 목지방 및 삼겹지방에서 는 처리구간 차이가 없었다. 지방조직 내 평균 인돌 농도 는 EM0에 비해 EM3, CM0 및 CM3에서 감소하였다 (p<0.05). 등지방 내 스카톨 농도는 CM0, CM3에서 EM0 보다 감소하였다(p<0.05). 또한, 목지방 내 스카톨 농도 및 지방조직 내 평균 스카톨 농도는 CM3에서 EM0과 EM3 보다 감소가 확인되었다(p<0.05). 그러나 안드로스테논 농 도는 분석된 지방조직들 모두에서 처리구간 통계적인 차 이가 없다. 이러한 결과들은 이눌린 급여에 의해 비거세 돈의 지방 내 웅취물질 저감에 부분적인 효과를 나타냈 을 뿐만 아니라 거세돈에서도 웅취물질 감소에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤음을 시사한다. 따라서, 본 연구결과는 물리적 인 거세가 전면 금지된다면 동물복지형 사양관리 기술개 발의 기초자료로 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

본 연구는 소맥 위주 사료에 xylanase 효소제의 첨가가 육성돈의 사양성적, 영양소 소화율, 혈액성상, 분 중 휘발 성 지방산 및 암모니아성 질소 농도에 미치는 영향을 알 아보기 위하여 실시하였다. 총 192두(4처리, 8반복, 반복당 6두)의 육성돈(25.14±0.11 kg)을 공시하여 xylanase 첨가수 준(0, 0.0125, 0.025, 0.0375%)으로 6주간 사양시험을 실시 하였다. xylanase의 첨가수준이 증가함에 따라 전체 사양 구간에서의 일당증체량(ADG), 일일사료섭취량(ADFI) 및 사료요구율(FCR)이 유의적으로 개선되는 효과를 나타냈 다(p<005). 영양소 소화율에 있어서, xylanase 첨가수준이 증가함에 따라 phase Ⅰ에서는 건물 및 에너지, phase Ⅱ 에서는 조단백질 소화율이 유의적으로 개선되었으며, 또 한 육성돈의 혈중 GLU 농도는 사료 내 xylanase의 첨가 수준이 증가함에 따라 유의적으로 증가하는 효과를 보였 다(p<0.05). 반면에, 휘발성 지방산 및 암모니아성 질소 농 도에서 xylanase의 유의적인 첨가효과는 나타나지 않았다 (p>0.05). 결론적으로, 소맥 위주의 사료 내 xylanase의 첨 가는 육성돈의 사양성적, 영양소 소화율 및 혈중 GLU 농 도를 증가시키는데 긍정적인 효과를 보였으며, 육성돈 사 료내 소맥을 주원료로 사용할 경우 xylanse의 적정 첨가 수준은 0.0375%으로 사료된다.

The cellular communication network factor (CCN) family proteins regulate many biological events such as angiogenesis, tumor growth, placentation, implantation, and embryogenesis. The expression and function of CCN1, CCN2, and CCN3 at the maternal-conceptus interface are established in humans and rodents, but little is known about the role of CCN4 to CCN6 in the reproductive organs in any other species. Several studies in transcriptome analysis in pigs have shown that the expression of CCN4 and CCN6 increases in the endometrium during early pregnancy. However, their expression, regulation, and function in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy have not been fully understood in pigs. Thus, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of CCN4 and CCN6 during the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. We found that the levels of CCN4, but not CCN6, changed during the estrous cycle. The levels of CCN4 were greater during mid- to late pregnancy than in the early stage, and the levels of CCN6 were greatest on Day 15 of pregnancy. CCN4 and CCN6 were detected in conceptus tissues during early pregnancy and in chorioallantoic tissues during the later stage of pregnancy. CCN4 mRNA was mainly localized to epithelial cells, CCN6 mRNAs to epithelial and stromal cells in the endometrium. In endometrial explant cultures, CCN4 expression was increased by progesterone, and CCN6 expression by interferon-γ. These results suggest that CCN4 and CCN6 may play roles in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating the endometrial epithelial cell functions in pigs.

소비자에게 판매하기 위해 비육을 하여 길러지는 돼지가 아닌 새끼를 낳기 위해 장기간 사육되는 돼지를 모돈이라 한다. 모돈은 규격돈보다 육색이 붉은 것이 특징이며 단단한 조직감으로 인해 잘 소비되지 않는다. 본 연구는 모돈을 가공 원료육으로 활용하기 위해 품질 및 가공특성을 평가하였다. 먼저, 냉동-해동된 모돈과 규격돈의 뒷다리를 이용하여 품질특성을 비교하였으며 가공특성은 유화형소시지를 제조하여 수행하였다. 원료육의 품질특성은 일반성분, pH, 육색, 콜라겐 함량, 조직감, 보수력을 측정하였고 가공특성은 유화형소시지를 제조하여 조직감 및 유화 안정성을 측정하였다. 모돈의 육색은 규격돈보다 붉고(p<0.05), 조직감은 단단하였다(p<0.05). 그러나 pH, 보수력, 콜라겐 함량, 유화 안정성, 소시지의 조직감은 유의적인 차이가 없었다. 결론적으로 모돈의 단단한 조직감은 분쇄를 통해 해결하였으며 대부분의 품질 및 가공특성은 모돈과 규격돈에서 동일하였다. 따라서 모돈을 가공 원료육으로 활용하면 규격돈과 가공특성의 차이가 없음을 확인하였으며, 규격돈에 비해 높은 수율은 제품 원가를 절감할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

The slaughter of livestock is inevitably required to obtain meat products from livestock. Since slaughter means pain and death for animals, reducing the pain and distress of animals during slaughter is very important from a perspective of animal welfare based on the principle of respect for life. Generally, two stunning methods, CO2 stunning and electrical stunning, are used for slaughter. When the carotid arteries of the lungs are cut off for bleeding, the bronchial tubes are also severed. To determine the degree of blood inflow into the lungs through the severed bronchial tubes, the prevalence rates of pulmonary diseases and pulmonary congestion in slaughtered pigs were analyzed. In this study, the prevalence of pneumonia was 24.9% in Slaughterhouse A using the gas method, but it was decreased by about 10% to 15.7% and 12.6%, respectively, in Slaughterhouses B and C using the electric method. On the other hand, the prevalence of pulmonary congestion in Slaughterhouses A, B, and C was 4.24%, 14.10% and 16.40%, respectively. In other words, the prevalence of pulmonary congestion was higher by about 10% in the groups of pigs slaughtered by the electric method (Slaughterhouses B and C) than in the group of pigs slaughtered by the gas method (Slaughterhouse A). These results indicate that blood inflow into the pulmonary alveoli led to a diagnosis of pulmonary congestion instead of pneumonia in some pigs with pneumonia. In short, it was found that about 10% of pigs stunned by the electric method were not in a state of complete unconsciousness but in a partially conscious state during slaughter. It is suggested that slaughterhouses should be equipped with gas stunning equipment instead of applying the electric method due to lower costs.

본 연구는 아세트아미노펜, 비타민 C, 무수 구연산으로 구성된 해열진통 및 염증 완화제, 피버닐산의 사료첨가가 구제역(FMD) 백신의 접종으로 야기 될 수 있는 돼지의 부작용에 대한 감소 효과를 확인하기 위해 실시되었다. 8-9주령의 돼지(LYD) 30마리를 공시, 대조군(n=10), 구제 역 백신 접종군(n=10; T1), 구제역 백신+피버닐 산 투여군 (n=10; 백신 접종 후 5일 간 0.2% 피버닐 산 경구 투여, T2), 3개 그룹으로 배치하여 시험을 진행하였다. 각 시험 구에서 총 14일 동안 체중, 혈액학치, 혈액화학치, FMD 항체 및 스트레스 지표의 변화를 관찰했으며, 총 증체량 은 T1(11.13±1.33kg)에 비해 T2(13.76±1.73kg)에서 유의적 으로 증가하였다(p<0.001). 혈액학치 및 혈액화학치 분석 결과, 백신을 접종한 두 처리군에서 유의한 차이는 없었 다. FMD 항체 역가는 T1(89.1±7.9)에 비해 T2(91.9±5.6)에 서 증가하는 경향을 보였으나 통계적 유의성을 나타나지 않았다. T2 그룹의 코르티솔, TNF-α 및 CRP와 같은 스 트레스, 염증 지표 물질은 구제역 백신 접종 후 3일에서 5 일 사이에 각각 310.31±44.11ng/mL, 59.05±11.88pg/mL, 29.05±2.84ng/mL으로 T1(361.58±58.74ng/mL, 74.47±19.26 pg/mL, 34.21±5.34ng/mL)보다 유의적으로 낮게 측정되 었다. 시험 14일째에 육안 및 조직병리학적 분석 결과, 주 사 부위의 염증 반응은 T2에서 적게 관찰되었으며 염증세 포 침윤 및 섬유조직이 증식된 육아종성 염증 또한 T2에 서 적게 관찰되었다. 본 연구결과로 미루어 보아 피버닐 산의 0.2% 경구 투여는 체중감소, 발열 등의 임상증상을 감소시키는 효과가 있으며, 접종 부위의 염증반응을 억제 하여 구제역 백신 접종의 부작용에 대한 스트레스를 경감 시키는 것으로 판단된다. 따라서 백신 접종 후 피버닐 산 의 0.2% 경구 투여는 돼지에서 구제역 백신 접종과 관련 된 부작용을 줄이는 데 효과적인 것으로 사료된다.

Based on many previous studies, this study reviewed the effects of needle-free intradermal injection (NFI) on the prevention of the incidence of lesions at the injection site in pork from pigs vaccinated with the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, the reduction of the vaccine dose, the stress-relief of vaccination, and the reduction of farm worker-related injuries. The vaccine and drugs injected with the NFI pass through the tissue and are widely dispersed along the path of least resistance, resulting in a vastly dispersed, spider-web-like distribution of the medication and absorbed quickly. In addition, since NFI is inoculated into the dermal layer where immune cells are abundantly distributed, even a small amount of vaccination shows an antibody-forming effect similar to that of the conventional needle intramuscular injection. NFI is a method suitable for animal welfare because the vaccine or drug is widely dispersed over the inoculation site and causes less pain or stress than the needle intramuscular injection. Use of NFI system for the vaccination and drug delivery improves work efficiency in farms and reduces the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in farm workers. In the future, it is judged that in-depth studies are needed on the effect of improving productivity and reducing the dose of antibiotics through NFI.

Swine atrophic rhinitis is a respiratory disease that causes nasal turbinate loss and septal deformation due to Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida. Turbinate loss facilitates pathogens to infect lungs, which leads to various respiratory diseases and productivity reduction. In this study, descriptive analysis was implemented for atrophic rhinitis and pneumonia. From 6 pig farms shipped to slaughterhouses in Chungbuk province, 20 heads and 20 lungs were collected by each farm from March 2020 to September 2020. Their atrophic rhinitis lesions and lung lesions were scored and blood samples were also collected to test the seroprevalence of several respiratory diseases. Pasteurella multocida from nasal swab was cultured and antibiotic resistance tests were performed. Correlation between atrophic rhinitis scores and lung lesion scores was not found. Abdominal nasal lesions were more severe than dorsal lesions. Differences in lung lesion scores were relatively small between lobes. The score of pneumonia was higher in castrated pigs than in female pigs. There was no relationship between lesion score and seroprevalence of respiratory diseases. Antibiotic resistance levels for Pasteurella multocida differed by farm, and several antibiotics were not effective. The results of this study imply that antimicrobial susceptibility tests are highly recommended before administration.

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of toy provision for stress reduction, welfare improvement and toy preference in finishing pigs. Toy shape was expected to exert effects on stress related behaviors including fighting, bothering, and feed competition. Three different toy shapes (i.e. square, round, and oval) were given to groups of finishing pigs. A no toy control group was also included. The duration and frequency of abnormal behaviors and use time for toy preference were compared among groups. The duration and frequency of stress related behaviors was higher (p<0.01) among the non-toy-using finishing pigs on 20 minutes and 118 times than 16 minutes and 57 times of toy-using finishing pigs. Toy shape exerted no significant effects, however, toy use displayed a clear ability to reduce stress related behaviors among finishing pigs. Toy use time and shape both displayed no clear effect on the duration of stress related behaviors. These behaviors were most frequently displayed in the afternoons when the finishing pigs become most active, and were not affected by toy shape. Overall, the square shaped toy was used much longer (9.7 hours) and more frequently (566 times) in a 24 hour period by the finishing pigs (p<0.01). In conclusion, providing toys to finishing pigs reduces stress and stress related behaviors. This finding is expected to positively impact welfare and improve finishing pig productivity. Square shaped toys were most preferred by the finishing pigs, therefore adopting toys with square features is recommended.

This study compared the immune responses, stress relief and weight gains of needle or needle-free intramuscular and needle-free intradermal vaccination in pigs. When the same amount of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine was administered to pigs, antibody titers at 4 weeks after the 1st and 2nd FMD vaccination were not significantly different between the needle (IM-S) and needle-free (NM-P250) intramuscularly vaccinated groups, but the weight gain of NM-P250 was significantly increased compared to that of IM-S at 8 weeks after the 2nd FMD vaccination (p<0.05). In addition, serum cortisol concentrations of NM-P250 were considerably decreased compared to those of IM-S on the 5th and 7th day after the 1st and 2nd FMD vaccination (p<0.05). However, the antibody titers of IM-S vaccinated with 2 mL of FMD vaccine were significantly increased compared to those of the needle-free intradermal vaccinated group with 0.5 mL of FMD vaccine at 4 weeks after the 1st and 2nd FMD vaccination (p<0.05). In conclusion, the needle-free intramuscular injection for the FMD vaccination can be chosen for weight gain and stress relief in pigs.