Holistic vitamin strategy to improve the robustness of pigs

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One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ("21st-century protein") refers to the provision of universally accessible, affordable, safe and sustainable protein. This is a pressing issue that cuts across systemic challenges, such as consumption, the environment, food security, health, and trade issues. One of the pillars of sustainability is the reduction of antibiotic resistance. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRS) is one if the most important disease in the word. It is one of the costliest diseases for the swine industry which has been estimated at 664 million US$ annually in United States, with mortality rates of up to 100% in the most extreme cases of emergent highly pathogenic strains. It is worthy to note that PRRSV will induce depression of the immune system that favor co-infections by other viruses as well as bacteria and parasites, among those, influenza, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, porcine circovirus, post-weaning E. coli, and bacterial septicemias (Strep suis, H. parasuis). With the aim of having a disease model close to what is observed in the field, the Centre de Développement du Porc du Québec (CDPQ) in collaboration with PigGen Canada has developed a wean-to-finish Natural Disease Challenge Model (NDCM) in 2015. Their objective was to mimic the disease pressure caused by many common pathogens at the commercial level of pig production especially PRRS. This model is unique worldwide and represents a real leverage to design strategies to reduce morbidity and the use of antibiotic while improving welfare and overall competitiveness and sustainability of Canadian pig production. Thus, the objective is to use the NDCM to test a holistic vitamins strategy. The impact of the strategy will be tested in terms of growth performance, mortality, morbidity, feeding and watering behaviors, PRRS incidence, infection timing and acuity, vitamin and mineral status, immune response, and bone mineralization.