Farmscape for November 18, 2014

Researchers with the University of Saskatchewan expect the development of standardized antimicrobial testing methods for brachyspira will lead to more effective treatment of brachyspira associated disease.
As part of research being conducted on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc, scientists with the University of Saskatchewan are working to standardize tests used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of various species of brachyspira.
Dr. Joe Rubin, an assistant professor in veterinary microbiology with the University of Saskatchewan, explains the re-emergence of brachyspira associated disease in the late 2000s in North America has raised several diagnostic questions including how do we identify these organisms, assess their pathogenicity and determine the most effective drugs for treatment?

Clip-Dr. Joe Rubin-University of Saskatchewan:
Our research is really all about providing evidence based treatment recommendations to veterinarians and swine producers, so it really does benefit hopefully the grassroots of the swine industry in Canada.
The evidence that we'll be generating from these test methods that we're developing is really an absolutely critical component of judicious antimicrobial use.
It will reduce the use of drugs which are ineffective and it will also be an important step towards ensuring that antimicrobial use is as prudent and rational as possible and limiting the use of drugs inappropriately which is certainly something that is increasingly in the public eye.
It'll also be really important for allowing producers in consultation with their veterinarians to select the most effective treatment at the outset based on laboratory tests rather than selecting their treatment by trial and error and so hopefully will save producers money and also reduce the total amount of antimicrobials that are used in production.

Dr. Rubin notes this project kicked off this spring and researchers are hoping to have their first data set analyzed by mid to late 2015.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council