Incidence and severity of Arcanobacterium pyogenes injection site abscesses with needle or needle-free injection

• Published in: Meat science 2012-12, Vol.92 (4), p.805-807
• Main Authors: Gerlach, Bryce M., Houser, Terry A., Hollis, Larry C., Tokach, Michael D., Nietfeld, Jerome C., Higgins, James J., Anderson, Gary A., Goehring, Brandon L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscess; Abscess - microbiology; Abscess - physiopathology; Abscess - prevention & control; Abscess - veterinary; Actinomycetales Infections - epidemiology; Actinomycetales Infections - prevention & control; Actinomycetales Infections - transmission; Actinomycetales Infections - veterinary; Animals; Arcanobacterium - pathogenicity; Arcanobacterium pyogenes; Biological and medical sciences; Carcass trimming; Food Contamination - prevention & control; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hip; Incidence; Injections, Intramuscular - veterinary; Injections, Jet - veterinary; Kansas - epidemiology; Meat and meat product industries; Neck; Needle fragments; Needle-free injection; Needlestick Injuries - epidemiology; Needlestick Injuries - microbiology; Needlestick Injuries - prevention & control; Needlestick Injuries - veterinary; Random Allocation; Severity of Illness Index; Skin - injuries; Skin - microbiology; Skin Diseases, Bacterial - epidemiology; Skin Diseases, Bacterial - prevention & control; Skin Diseases, Bacterial - transmission; Skin Diseases, Bacterial - veterinary; Swine; Swine Diseases - epidemiology; Swine Diseases - microbiology; Swine Diseases - prevention & control; Swine Diseases - transmission; Vaccination - adverse effects; Vaccination - instrumentation; Vaccination - veterinary; Weaning
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.07.004

Nursery-age pigs (n=198) were used to evaluate the difference in abscess formation at needle-free jet and conventional needle-and-syringe injection sites. Needle-free jet injection was used to administer injections in the neck and ham on one side of the animal whereas needle-and-syringe was used for neck and ham injections on the opposite side. Immediately prior to injection, the injection site surfaces were contaminated with an inoculum of Arcanobacterium pyogenes. Each pig was humanely euthanized 27 or 28days after injections. Histopathological results showed that needle-free jet injection was associated with more abscesses than needle-and-syringe injection at both neck (P=0.0625) and ham (P=0.0313) injection sites. Out of 792 injection sites, only 13 abscesses were observed, with 12 of those present at needle-free jet injection sites. Needle-free jet injection may increase the occurrence of injection site abscesses that necessitate carcass trimming at pork processing plants. ► Injection site abscesses occur at a very low rate. ► Needle-free jet injection may increase injection site abscesses. ► Needle-free and conventional needle injection produce similar adjuvant responses.