Zoetis has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to begin marketing Fostera Gold PCV, the pork industry’s first monovalent vaccine for swine that includes two genotypes of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2): 2a and 2b.

The new vaccine follows the March 2018 launch of Fostera Gold PCV MH, which contains the same two PCV genotypes but also protects against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo).

“Our new monovalent PCV vaccine, Fostera Gold PCV, is ideal for genetic-nucleus and multiplier herds that must show proof they are negative for M. hyo and cannot have circulating M. hyo antibodies,” said Dr. Lucina Galina, director, swine technical services, Zoetis.

Galina said some commercial farms that have eliminated M. hyo may want to consider the monovalent vaccine if they are located in isolated areas with a low risk of mycoplasma reinfection. However, most operations would benefit from using Fostera Gold PCV MH since they are located in pig-dense areas.

Broadest range of antigenic coverage

Because they contain PCV2a and 2b genotypes -- the latter one being a genotype closely genetically related to PCV2d -- the two new PCV vaccines from Zoetis should provide the broadest range of antigenic coverage against evolving PCV2 viruses in U.S. swine herds, the announcement said.

The most prevalent PCV2 genotypes currently circulating in U.S. herds are PCV2d followed by PCV2b and PCV2a, according to the latest data from Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Zoetis said.

The duration of immunity (DOI) with Fostera Gold PCV is at least 23 weeks for PCV, which means the vaccine will protect most herds through the finishing period. Fostera Gold PCV MH has also been shown to provide a minimum of 23 weeks of protection against M. hyo.

Both vaccines may be administered as a single, 2-mL dose from 3 weeks of age or as a split dose with two, 1-mL doses administered 3 weeks apart. The split-dose regimen can be initiated as early as 3 days of age, but Galina recommends using either one dose from 3 weeks of age or the two-dose regimen starting at 3 weeks of age.

Demonstrated efficacy

In a field trial involving 880 pigs, the efficacy of the two PCV2 genotypes in both vaccines was demonstrated based on viremia, the presence of lung lesions and immunohistochemistry — a process that shows how antibodies bind to antigens. The vaccine also has a high margin of safety, Galina reported.

For more information on Fostera Gold PCV and Fostera Gold PCV MH, veterinarians and producers should contact their Zoetis representative or visit www.zoetisUS.com/FosteraGold.