Investigation of the vaginal microbiome before and after farrowing and its association with sow health

Project 22-01 - Dr. Robert Friendship

Dr. Robert Friendship, University of Guelph

The vaginal microbiome has been shown in various species to be important with respect to the health of the mother and offspring. In human medicine, it has been shown that antibiotic treatment may disrupt the vaginal and urinary microbiota and lead to infections that are best treated with probiotics and urinary acidifiers in order to favourably manipulate the vaginal microbiome (1). In swine, a "healthy" microbiome of the birth canal can help reduce the likelihood of post-farrowing complications such as infection of the womb or possibly help to protect against prolapses (2). Sow mortality is an industry concern, with many of the sow deaths occurring at, or shortly after farrowing. The consequences of a healthy vaginal microbiome may be a fast recovery post-farrowing, resulting in a lower likelihood of urogenital infection, vaginal discharge or prolapse. This research is needed because there are few studies in this area and no clear understanding of what is ideal with regard to the vaginal microbiome of sows before and after farrowing. There is insufficient knowledge currently as to how the vaginal microbiome changes from late gestation to post-farrowing, and it is not known how long the recovery period takes before a stable microbiome is established after farrowing is completed. There is also little known about how the microbiome differs between older sows and young sows. This project will identify the microbiome changes during parturition and will determine differences in the vaginal microbiome of healthy sows and sows with postpartum vaginal infections and reproduction problems.