VIDO research studies needle-free vaccine delivery for swine

At the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), Dr. Heather Wilson’s team is exploring whether vaccines could be delivered to pigs as part of artificial insemination.  Artificial insemination is used in 90% of swine production in Canada.

Some of the most significant swine diseases affect reproduction or newborn piglets. By delivering a vaccine into the uterus during artificial insemination, Wilson’s team hopes to protect the reproductive tract and help reduce disease risks for both sows and their offspring.

“Artificial insemination is already part of routine swine production, so we are asking whether vaccination could be safely built into that process,” said Dr. Wilson. “If successful, this approach could give producers a practical new way to protect sows and piglets.”

This approach could also help piglets stay healthy through passive immunity from the sow. Passive immunity happens when a mother passes antibodies to her offspring, primarily through colostrum immediately after birth and during the early period when newborn animals are most vulnerable.

VIDO’s early pilot studies suggest an intrauterine vaccine can be given to sows and gilts without affecting semen function or fertility, and that the animals can have large, healthy litters. Larger studies are still needed to confirm these findings.

The team is now working with collaborators to study vaccine formulations using nanoparticles to enhance the immune response. Nanoparticles are extremely small particles that can help protect vaccine ingredients or improve how they are delivered.

If this approach proves effective and safe, it could offer producers a new way to vaccinate animals using an existing management practice. It could also reduce needle use and save labour while helping protect sow and piglet health.