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Pig gut microbes affecting vaccine effectiveness

Researchers at Kansas State University found a range of gut microbe characteristics in pigs help dictate effectiveness of vaccines.

The study focused on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome in weaning age pigs. Head researcher Megan Niederwerder Brownfield increased diversity of gut microbes in pigs leads to better outcomes against pathogens and vaccine responses.

“That, in our minds, can hopefully help not only with this disease but any future disease that maybe introduced or emerge that we don’t even know about right now.”

She said her team’s findings opens up a new perspective on vaccines.

“Opposed to let’s create a new vaccine, we’re really trying to look at these alternative tools,” she said. “How do we improve those vaccines that we are already using in the field.”

Niederwerder says PRRS costs U.S. pork producers more than $660 million a year so just a 10 percent increase in vaccine effectiveness would save millions of dollars.

She said it’s important to think about the translation from pigs to humans and consider how gut microbes could affect vaccine effectiveness for people.

“When we get the COVID-19 vaccine, could our gut microbes impact our vaccine outcome,” she said.

Niederwerder said field applications of gut microbes are being tested to learn how to regulate them.