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Page 8 %u2013 Australian Pork Newspaper, March 2025 www.porknews.com.auTHE Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine is available for humans at over 100 vaccination providers across Queensland, including selected general practitioners, pharmacies and community immunisation providers.Some providers may charge a consultation fee, however the vaccine itself is free for those in the state who meet the criteria.More than 18,000 eligible Queenslanders have been vaccinated against JEV since 2022, yet there is still no animal vaccine registered for use in Australia to protect pigs from the mosquito-borne disease.Australian Pork Limited chief executive officer Margo Andrae said the large-scale JEV outbreak of 2022 had a significant impact on %u201cour animals and the people who care for them.%u201dShe added that APL had been collaborating with the University of Queensland to develop a vaccine for pigs and was working with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to make it available to farmers as soon as possible.Apiam Animal Health%u2019s ACE Laboratory Services was also developing a vaccine for pigs in Australia, with managing director Chris Richards pushing for an emergency permit to trial it at more piggeries.The vaccine was trialled at six farms, yet an additional 89,000 doses of the trial vaccine were ready to be shared, permission pending.%u201cThose 89,000 doses could vaccinate every sow in Victoria over the next four weeks,%u201d Mr Richards said. University of Queensland researchers were also looking to trial their vaccine at more locations.Associate Professor Jody Peters said the university was waiting on regulatory approvals to further progress testing.%u201cI would love for a vaccine to be available to our farmers at the end of this mosquito season,%u201d Dr Peters said.Australian Pig Veterinarians Group president Sandy Adsett said she supported the development of a safe and effective vaccine. %u201cGiven the devastating effects %u2013 and the difficulty in detecting its presence until the virus manifests in farrowing sows and their piglets %u2013 the Australian Pig Vets strongly supports the development and registration of any safe and effective vaccine candidate for use in pigs,%u201d Dr Adsett said.Ms Andrae said APL was working closely with the government to try fast-tracking the vaccine process. APL was seeking permits for other products, including a vaccine from Japan, that could help protect pigs from JEV and manage mosquito populations.%u201cEvery opportunity to prevent something that causes harm to our animals, we will absolutely push for it,%u201d Ms Andrae said.Adding that, given the work researchers had been doing since the 2022 JEV outbreak, the Australian pork industry had hoped to have a domestic animal vaccine by now, yet that it was imperative to work together to protect animal and human health. %u201cThe best approach at the moment is making sure staff are accessing the human vaccines to keep them protected, covering up and controlling mosquitoes and, where possible, reducing water lying around your property,%u201d she said. for living farm building surfaces A specific blend of highly concentrated live bacteria Helps install a positive biofilm on farm building surfaces after cleaning and disinfectionHelps improve the microbial environment for safe animal production Helps reduce the risk of health issues due to the harmful microorganisms and negative biofilms.POSITIVE BIOFILMPartnering in microbial solutions for a changing world.Using sound science, proven results and knowledge from experience, Lallemand Animal Nutrition helps our customers and industry partners be more successful %u2013 and animals lead healthier lives.Lallemand Animal Nutrition provides a full range of specific, natural microbial products, services and solutions that improve animal wellbeing and performance while respecting animals, people and the environment.Not all products are available in all markets nor associated claims allowed in all regions.Contact us on (07) 5451 0125 | LAN-Aus@lallemand.comIN support of building industry credentials and to address regulatory demands to reduce antimicrobial use, Australian Pork Limited embarked on a project titled %u2018Novel genomebased markers for antimicrobial resistance profiling of swine mycoplasma pathogens%u2019, project number 2021/0025.The recently completed study by the University of Adelaide has delivered promising news for pig producers while advancing Australia%u2019s antimicrobial stewardship efforts.The two-year project %u2013 led by Associate Professor Farhid Hemmatzadeh%u2019s team, Professor Darren Trott, Assoc Prof Kiro Petrovski and PhD candidate Dr Razi Jafari Jozani %u2013 developed an innovative method to isolate and grow mycoplasma bacteria, a major respiratory pathogen impacting pig herds worldwide. Dr Jozani, who spearheaded the laboratory work, created a groundbreaking technique that achieves 100 percent survival rates when preserving mycoplasma samples, compared to only 20 percent with traditional methods. This advancement has major implications for vaccine development and disease monitoring.The research focused on mycoplasma h y o p n e u m o n i a e , which causes widespread respiratory illness in pigs. While rarely fatal, the disease can significantly impact herd health and production, especially when combined with other respiratory pathogens.Importantly, the study revealed encouraging news about antimicrobial resistance. Testing showed that mycoplasma bacteria in Australian pig herds remains largely susceptible to current treatments, suggesting the sector%u2019s responsible antimicrobial use practices are proving effective.The team%u2019s analysis found limited genetic diversity among Australian mycoplasma isolates and an absence of antimicrobial resistance genes, supporting the effectiveness of current treatment approaches.This research marks a significant step forward in managing pig respiratory diseases, while supporting the industry%u2019s commitment to responsible antimicrobial use. Dr Raymond ChiaAPL Program Manager Health and BiosecurityBreakthrough pig disease testing JEV vaccine free in QueenslandJody Peters examined cells used for vaccines with Jessica Harrison. Photo: University of Queensland