Key strategies to ensure your herd’s health

We will accompany the 10th Asian Pig Veterinary Society (APVS) that will be held from July 30 to August 2 2023, in TICC Taipei, Taiwan.

Join us at our booth or during our symposium and oral presentation where you can meet our representatives and learn more about our contribution to animal health.

We were visited on our site in Garín, #Argentina, by the ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations @ASEAN accredited in this country. 

Together with representatives of the #ChamberofAsia we toured the facilities where we currently have unique production and distribution capacities that allow us to provide our solutions to different countries around the world. During the meeting, representatives from #Thailand, #Malaysia, #Indonesia, #Vietnam and #Philippines were able to learn about the impact of our technologies for animal health in their countries. This encourages us to continue working together with the countries of #Asia to collaborate in improving livestock productivity and contribute to ensure the protection of the sanitary status.

#AnimalHealth #FMD

We received the visit of a delegation from the Department of Livestock Development of Thailand, as well as representatives from the Bureau of Veterinary Biologics and the productive sector of the country, at our facilities in Garín, Argentina.

During their visit, we had the opportunity to share with them our expertise in the production of world-class vaccines against #FMD  , and our experience in managing animal health emergencies. We also discussed the global impact of this disease and the importance of preventing it.

This visit marked a significant step towards strengthening our partnership with the Thai market and reinforcing our commitment to the global prevention and control of FMD.     

From March 8^th to 10^th, we will be present at the complete feed to food event in Asia, dedicated to the world of livestock production, animal husbandry and all related sectors, from feed production, to farming, animal health and more.
Meet us at Booth 5041! – IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center.
On March 9^th at 13:00 at Room Jupiter 10 – Don’t miss our Seminar about Biogénesis Bagó and our World-Class FMD Solutions!
Register at bit.ly/vivasia-2023

It´s Not All About the Strains

By: Juver Membrebe, Asia Technical Service and Regulatory Affairs Manager – Biogenesis Bago

There are many factors to consider if an FMD vaccine is “good.” Not only the quality of a highly purified FMD vaccine impacts on its safety and efficacy but also, it allows to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA). In this article, let’s focus on another important piece of a high-quality FMD vaccine: the vaccine strain.

There is a popular concept that states that a high-quality vaccine must contain the latest strain isolated from the same country or region where the vaccine will be administered. But is that truly necessary? The answer to this question is: NO, it´s not!

So, what are the key points that need to be considered when we evaluate a vaccine strain? It is crucial to know the level of cross-protection that the vaccine can reach against the circulating virus in the region.
Where can we check this information? Some of the FMD vaccines in the market are continuously tested against the latest isolates in every region by tests performed by FMD World Reference Lab with the results published in their quarterly reports.
Also, there are more complex potency tests, that require vaccinated animals to be challenged with a virulent FMD virus; such as PD50 or PGP test.

However, vaccine strains are not alone in this war against viruses. It’s not all about the strain, it is also about how the vaccine is manufactured and formulated. For instance, the nature of the adjuvant will determine how long the immunity might last, production process will influence the safety of the vaccine and quality control points will make sure the product is good to market.

Let´s bring the example of well-known FMD vaccine strains such as O1 Campos. O1 Campos was first isolated back in 1958 in South America and later incorporated into several different products. Now, does it behave in the same way? Are all O1 Campos the same? NO!

O1 Campos Biogenesis Bago has been able to control FMD O serotype outbreaks all around the world for several years now. It is continuously challenged against the latest isolations and does not seize to amaze with its results. So, what makes Biogenesis Bago’s O1 Campos so special? It´s the whole package!

O1 Campos high potency vaccine heterologous neutralization titers against type O field isolates

For instance, back in 1997 in Taiwan, O1 Campos (Biogenesis Bago) was instrumental during the outbreak control until the country successfully regained its status of being free from FMD without vaccination in 2020. That means they were able to start exporting pork products again.

In Argentina, during the outbreaks of 2000, when the country was free without vaccination, Biogenesis Bago’s FMD vaccines helped control the outbreak within 11 months, with two vaccination rounds, delivering and administering 120 million doses in 6 months.

The situation in South Korea and Vietnam was different. Even with vaccination, controlling the disease was not an easy task. However, once Aftogen Oleo and Bioaftogen became available, there was a new and potent tool for fighting the disease. Currently, free of outbreaks, South Korea applied at WOAH to be a country free of FMD with vaccination.

And finally, just this year, Indonesia, Israel, and Palestine started using Biogenesis Bago’s vaccines to help control and prevent the further spread of FMD in their territories.

The data from FMD World Reference labs and actual field experiences across the globe support the broad cross-protection claim of O1 Campos of Biogenesis Bago. And, at the end of the day, in order to control and eradicate FMD, this is what we need: World- class vaccines with strains strong enough to offer real solutions to farmers, veterinarians and health authorities.

So, next time you have to choose a vaccine, remember, it´s not just about the strain; it´s everything else that comes with it: state-of-the-art manufacturing process, quality controls and certifications, proven experience around the world, and technical and scientific support. It´s about choosing a World-Class FMD Vaccine

Reference to: https://www.pigprogress.net/health-nutrition/health/its-not-all-about-the-strains/

What traditionally comes to your mind when you hear the word “DIVA”? Usually, one associates this term with great superstars. But the in the veterinary world we have our own DIVAs: Biogenesis Bago’s highly purified FMD vaccines, Aftogen Oleo (O1 Campos FMD vaccine) and Bioaftogen (O1 Campos, A24 Cruzeiro, and A2001 Argentina FMD vaccine), deserve to be recognized as such and let us tell you why you should care.

As a quick review: FMD virus creates two types of proteins, structural proteins (SP) and non-structural proteins (NSP). SP are responsible for inducing antibodies (Ab) for protective immunity (Ab-SP). On the other hand, NSP develop antibodies that are not related to protective immunity (Ab-NSP). FMD vaccines with excellent purification keep SP while removing NSP. Therefore, these FMD vaccines can be considered Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) FMD vaccines. Still confused? Let’s have a deeper look.

Natural FMD infection The FMD virus replicates, creating thousands of copies of itself, including SP and NSP. The immune system will develop Ab against both proteins: Ab-SP and Ab-NSP.

Non-purified vaccine: When the FMDV infects the cells in the culture media, the virus replication also generates SP and NSP. An unpurified vaccine will incorporate SP and NSP; thus, vaccinated animals also develop Ab-SP and Ab-NSP.

It is impossible to differentiate between natural infection and a non-purified vaccine because both trigger the development of the same kind of antibodies.

Purified vaccine: During the manufacturing process, NSP and other impurities present in the culture media are removed through a high-technology purification method – keeping only SP. As a positive consequence, the immune system will only recognize and develop useful antibodies: Ab-SP.

“Purified vaccine is considered as marker vaccine. It allows you to differentiate between a naturally infected animal and vaccinated animal. This is what we call DIVA vaccine.

As a farmer, you might ask yourself, “Why should I care if the FMD vaccine I use is a DIVA vaccine or not? Both have the structural proteins anyway!” The truth is, you should care because there are a lot of benefits in using a DIVA FMD vaccine. Let´s see the reasons why:

1. YOU ARE USING A HIGH-QUALITY VACCINE.
   There are tons of FMD manufacturers globally, but not everyone has the manufacturing capability of Biogenesis Bago to develop and manufacture high-quality DIVA vaccines, which requires a specialized purification process to remove NSP and other impurities.
2. YOUR ANIMALS ARE SAFE, WITH NO SHOCK AFTER VACCINATION.
   Impurities in the vaccine can cause tremors or anaphylactic shock. A DIVA vaccine without NSP and impurities has an increased safety profile, thus avoiding these adverse effects.
3. YOUR VACCINE HAS INCREASED EFFICACY.
   The FMD vaccine strain and formulation are responsible for the efficacy of an FMD vaccine. However, impurities can interfere with efficacy. When we eliminate impurities, the animals can focus in mounting a proper immune response.
4. YOUR VACCINE IS MORE STABLE WITH LONGER SHELF LIFE.
   Proteases that destroy proteins (including SP, which are essential in mounting immune response) are also removed during the purification process making the vaccine more stable and able to last longer while maintaining its efficacy.
5. YOU ARE HELPING YOUR COUNTRY IN GETTING AN FMD-FREE STATUS.
   If all farmers use DIVA vaccines, detected NSP antibodies should come only from natural infection. If there is no presence of Ab-NSP, the DIVA vaccine is working, and there is no FMD virus circulating. The country can apply and acquire FMD-free status. Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan did this and are now FMD-free. This makes DIVA vaccines crucial in eliminating FMD.

Biogenesis Bago’s DIVA vaccines, Aftogen Oleo and Bioaftogen, are not only purified vaccines, but the O1 Campos, A24 Cruzeiro, and A2001 Argentina vaccine strains have been proven to have broad cross-protection against different FMDV field isolates and their unique formulation guarantees early generation of antibodies and long duration of immunity.

This type of world class products is a “must have” in every farm to guarantee the health of your herd.
Leave in the comments section your questions or other ideas why an FMD DIVA vaccine is a must-have product in your farm.

Reference to: https://www.pigprogress.net/health-nutrition/health/veterinarians-favourite-diva/