Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

CARD Project Progress Report
001/04VIE: Diagnosis and control of diarrhoea
in suckling pigs
MS 3: 2
nd
SIX-MONTHLY REPORT
October 2005 – March 2006

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1. Institute Information
Project Name
Diagnosis and control of diarrhoea in suckling pigs
Vietnamese Institution

School of Veterinary Science The
University of Qld
Email:

In Australia: Administrative contact
Name:
May Montecino
Telephone:
61 7 33652651
Position:
Manager Research Projects Office
Fax:
61 7 33651188
Organisation
School of Land and Food The
University of Qld
Email:


In Vietnam
Name:
Dr Cu Huu Phu
Telephone:
84 4 8693923
Position:
Head of Bacteriology Department
Fax:
84 4 8694082
Organisation
NIVR

according to the project logframe, although some complications were encountered. Fimbriae could
not be purified for the unusual Vietnamese serotype O8 strains that appear to carry a novel
unrecognised attachment antigen at NIVR (or in Australia) but an opportunity to conduct this vital
research at an internationally recognised laboratory has arisen. Test and control farms were visited
again, but several farms are not implementing the recommended changes or supplying adequate
production records for the pig health recording system put in place to monitor improvements.
Diagnostic submissions continue to be sent to NIVR to determine the importance of different causes
of preweaning diarrhoea and the findings of the first 8-months of collection (118 specimens in total)
will be presented at the International Pig Veterinary Society Congress in Copenhagen by Dr Do
Ngoc Thuy. The success of the project is reliant on adequate training of Vietnamese scientists in a
holistic approach to understanding and identifying production constraints in a parallel project
(004/05VIE) to conduct our first training sessions to smallholder farmers. Two high performing
piggeries have been identified as excellent candidate premises where training can be undertaken.
4. Introduction & Background
Diarrhoea during the suckling period has been recognised as the principle health problem affecting
both smallholder and commercial pig production in Vietnam. Previous research has confirmed the
presence of a new fimbrial type in E. coli strains causing colibacillosis in Vietnam that would not be
controlled by existing vaccines. Existing vaccines are currently imported into Vietnam at
considerable cost. In addition, there are many other causes of suckling diarrhoea, the significance of
which is currently unknown in Vietnam, which are all affected by husbandry and management during
farrowing and lactation. Project 001/04VIE (Diagnosis and control of diarrhoea in suckling pigs)
began with three objectives to solve this problem:

1. Production and testing of locally-produced E. coli vaccines 5
2. Development of a management plan for preweaning diarrhoea using a continuous improvement
(CIP) model


implemented and audited. These piggeries would then serve as training institutions for
technology transfer. Whilst the benefits of this scheme to the smallholder farmer may not be
immediately apparent it was essential for the long term uptake of the continuous improvement
model by smallholder farmers that this key infrastructure was put into place. What applies for
100 sows applies equally for one sow; good husbandry is good husbandry whichever way it
goes.

3. There are two issues that seem to be related and need to be elaborated on:
a. You have not been able to identify Vietnamese serotype 08 strains in any of the
samples collected so far; and,
b. The sera obtained from rabbits so far is not specific against 5F-08 strains
Some important questions arise:
(i) Is this an analytical technique issue or an absence of the strain issue? If it is the latter:
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a. What are the implications of this on the delivery of Milestone 5 – Vaccine
produced and efficacy tested?
b. What is the evidence that the 08 strains have significant economic importance?
c. If the lack of 08 strains is generic what is the point of local vaccine production? 6
The absence of the unusual 5F-O8 ETEC strains containing the proposed new fimbrial type is
interesting, given that it was the second most prevalent pathotype in commercial piggeries in
North Vietnam in the work conducted by Dr Do Ngoc Thuy for her PhD thesis (Do et al., J Med
Microbiol. 2006 55:93-9). I can assure the M&E team that these strains are indeed pathogenic
as they contain the full complement of enterotoxins and caused disease in baby pigs (Do et al.,
Vet Pathol. 2006 43:150-60). Its general absence could be explained by the fact that it may not
be as virulent as the more cosmopolitan enterotoxigeic E. coli strains such as F4 and F5 (for
example if the novel fimbrial antigen on the surface of the 08 strains has an inferior binding
capacity to porcine intestinal epithelium). However if the more pathogenic F4 and F5 strains are

include the more prevalent F4 and F5 fimbriated strains. The major reason for using a locally
made vaccine is cost. It can be produced in Vietnam at a fraction of the cost of the imported
Littergard vaccine.

4. It is useful to note from the farm data that there have been a number of issues that appear to
have a significant impact on pig productivity. The identification of mange and the
widespread under-feeding of sows appear to be more significant than the incidence of
diarrhoea – at least in the surveyed farms. This survey supports the development of a holistic
approach to pig productivity improvement and the incorporation of financial returns and
profitability.

This issue has been addressed in the new CARD project 004/05VIE. A 1
st
six monthly report is
due for this project at the end of September 2006 (Indeed one of the major reasons for the long
delay in finalising this report is the large amount of time and effort that has gone into setting up

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this large collaborative project involving 7 institutions and providing an extensive training
programme to six visiting Vietnamese scientists).

5. It is noted that some equipment has been provided to NIVR. This includes provision of
reagents and the PCR machine. Although the contract negotiated is a lumpsum contract we
are required to assure AusAID that contracted inputs have been provided. The Statutory
Declaration is designed for this purpose and should be completed detailing the inputs that
have occurred during each 6-monthly reporting period. Can you please ensure that the
CARD PMU Office receives a signed Statutory Declaration as soon as possible?
6. When we look at the contract (or the proposal budget) we do not see the PCR machine listed.
Have we missed something? There is no problem in variation in the detail of equipment
provided as long as the total sum is not increased. If you have jointly decided that equipment

b) By far the most common agents were endemic TGEV and rotavirus. A high incidence of
these diseases may be reflective of poor management.
c) Coccidiosis and Cryptosporidium are present in Vietnam. The former is completely
preventable via strategic use of Baycox during the suckling period.

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d) Clostridium perfringens has been identified as the aetiological agent in several cases of
suckling pig diarrhoea in Vietnam. This is most probably Type A which is becoming an
important cause of neonatal diarrhoea worldwide.
Abstract 2 detailed a molecular investigation of virulence factors in E. coli isolated from Vietnamese
pigs with oedema disease and post-weaning diarrhoea. This was the first time such a study has been
conducted in Vietnam and it utilised the new PCR machine purchased as part of CARD project
001/04VIE. Determining the virulence factors of post-weaning strains has assisted the production of
locally produced oedema disease vaccine.
3) Planning of ETEC vaccine trials at NIVR for March 2006.

4) Fourth trip to Vietnam by Australian scientists February 2006. This was planned to coincide with
a planning meeting in Hanoi to discuss the formation of the large collaborative 004/05VIE project
and presented an opportunity to expose experienced pig veterinarian and collaborator Dr Trish
Holyoake to pig production in Vietnam. Dr Holyoake made the following observations with respect
to future training programmes:

• Visiting Vietnamese trainees should be taught during their time in Australia to conduct on-
farm questioning to conduct problem solving. Basic skills such as “How long have the pigs
been ill?”, “Have you treated them with anything?” “What was the response?”
• It would be good to develop pictorial flow charts for the common diseases present on-farm
and link them with the treatment of choice. These pictorial charts could be hung in the
piggery office. Include a pictorial reference to drugs not suitable for treating pigs
• Trainees need instruction on pig flow-facility utilization, setting mating targets, defining
facility bottlenecks, the importance of AIAO vs continuous flow

5.6 Project Management
Operational project management continues to be shared between the National Institute of Veterinary
Research Bacteriology Department, the Victorian Department of Primary Industry and The
University of Queensland. Dr Steve Driesen has retired from the Victorian DPI and Dr Tony Fahy is
now in charge of the day to day operations of the project. The Faculty Research Projects Office in the
School of Land and Food at The University of Queensland, who have many years experience in
managing international agricultural research projects, is responsible for administration of the project.
6. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues
6.1 Environment
No changes from previous report
6.2 Gender and Social Issues
No changes from previous report
7. Implementation & Sustainability Issues
7.1 Issues and Constraints
As identified previously, the major constraint to the success of our project is the lack of appropriately
trained veterinary extension workers who can conduct independent farm audits accurately and
efficiently so that necessary management changes will be adopted to improve production and
profitability. This will take time to be addressed properly.
7.2 Options
We have developed a farm audit checklist that can be used to “train the trainers” as well as give an
objective assessment of the major constraints to production at each farm visited. Use of this checklist
will enable our scientists to evaluate the level of competency of Vietnamese personnel conducting
the audit. However, to fully implement this methodology it will require extensive training of
Vietnamese scientists in Australia, which is being undertaken in the new CARD projects (004/05VIE
and 020/05VIE). The farm audit questionnaire and checklist will be included in the 1
st
six monthly
report for 004/05VIE.
7.3 Sustainability
Not applicable to comment on at this stage of the project.