Ceva Animal Health to Host "Advancing Swine Health" Pre-Symposium at ESPHM 2026

FLORENCE, Italy — May 12, 2026 — Ceva Animal Health hosted its exclusive pre-symposium event, "Advancing Swine Health," at the Globo Mediterraneo Congress Center. Organized in conjunction with the European Symposium on Porcine Health Management (ESPHM 2026), the event brings together industry experts and veterinarians to discuss cutting-edge diagnostics, real-world field data, and next-generation vaccination strategies.

Driven by a commitment to meet the evolving needs of industry professionals, Ceva Santé Animale consistently reinvests approximately 20% of its total sales into swine innovation through R&D and Business Development. The company's innovation strategy in the swine segment extends far beyond the vaccine bottle. Ceva aims to deliver a comprehensive ecosystem that builds trust and confidence throughout the entire administration process, offering unique capabilities to track and connect data from the farm level all the way to the packing plant

The scientific program is divided into two distinct sessions focusing on critical pillars of swine production: respiratory and intestinal health.

Session 1: Advancing Respiratory Health: Data, Diagnostics & Next-Generation Vaccination

• Katrin Strutzberg-Minder (IVD GmbH | Germany): An overview of the most frequently found pathogens in altered slaughter lungs from European countries) Strutzberg-Minder shares data from over 400 farms showing high PCV2 detection rates (up to 60% in some countries), followed by PRRSv. The most prevalent pathogen association is PCV2 and M. hyo (23%), with the PCV2d genotype accounting for 80% of successfully genotyped cases. This diagnostic support helps practitioners understand pathogen interactions to fine-tune vaccination strategies.

Could you explain the flow of actions from reception of the samples from field and the results that deliver from the lab?   

• Michael Groes Christiansen (SEGES, Denmark): Translating Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae diseases into production and economic outcomes. Groes highlights that the economic impact of App is high in environments with lower vaccination rates. Despite existing M. hyo vaccination rates, there remains a margin for improvement regarding Mycoplasma protection. The primary economic impact is related to an increasing Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), information that is not always easy to collect.

There are some notation systems and assessments correlating lung lesions and performance, however old they are. In SEGES, what adjustments are you following to guarantee an updated review of this correlation?  

• Marco Faccenda (Ciemme Group | Italy): What Italian heavy pigs are telling us: results of Gruppo Chiola trial with a new ready to use PCV2d and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccine. Faccenda shares that in this field experience, it was possible to track vaccine take using serology, which is interesting in multisite production. Despite the massive usage of PCV2 M. hyo vaccines, this field trial demonstrated a dramatic reduction of PCV2 viremia associated with a higher survival rate (+4.8%) and increased weight (+4 kg).

In Italy, what are the main parameters that you are monitoring during a field trial to prevent respiratory diseases?

• Guillermo Ramis (University of Murcia | Spain): What pigs are telling us: the Spanish experience on PCV2 subclinical infections.  Professor Ramis explains that in an environment with a subclinical form of PCV2, Cirbloc M Hyo was able to deliver more weight (+3 kg, meaning more than 40 g Average Daily Gain improved) and ultimately an extra +3.9 €/pig, which is crucial in a country where pig prices have dropped since the end of last year and competitiveness is truly key.

In a multisite system as it is developed in Spain, how are your customers valuing the monitoring of the vaccine take using serology?

• Frédéric Colin (Ceva Animal Healh): Advancing the standards of care with a unique new ready to use PCV2d and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccine. Colin highlighted that PCV2 and M. hyo remain key pathogens in PRDC. As epidemiology evolves, tracking pathogen prevalence, severity, and genotypes is critical. An updated vaccine formulation targeting the PCV2d genotype and a highly pathogenic M. hyo strain improves health status, delivering a return on investment between 1.6 and 7.8 €/pig depending on infectious pressure, driven by reductions in lung lesions, PCV2 viremia, mortality, and antibiotic treatments, alongside better zootechnical performance.

Which parameter is key to measure the efficacy of Cirbloc Mhyo against PCV2 subclinical infections?

You talked about consensus technology to create this new vaccine: what does it mean?  

Session 2: Advancing Intestinal Health: Ceva's Strategic Vision for Innovation and Growth

• Joanne Drouet (Ceva Animal Health): Ceva’s Vision for Intestinal Health: Leveraging Innovation and Strategic Expansion.

Drouet outlined Ceva's long-term vision for driving strategic expansion and innovation within the enteric health segment, detailing a comprehensive enteric approach focused on "High Quality Piglets" (HQP). This strategic framework centers on supporting producers with an integrated portfolio of enteric solutions, alongside customized alternatives using autogenous vaccines. She emphasized that this holistic approach combines prevention, management, and scientific expertise to support farmers at every stage, thereby enabling data-driven decision-making across operations

• Hector Argüello Rodriguez (University of León | Spain): Swine Digestive Complex (SDC): Interaction of enteric pathogens & How to address enteric disease? Enteric panel promising options. Professor Argüello led discussions on the interactions of enteric pathogens, emphasizing that there are synergistic pathogenic mechanisms among the pathogens involved in the swine digestive complex. Consequently, control measures must account for these synergies and establish comprehensive strategies that minimize the impact of each pathogen on the overall outcome of the disease.

In a second presentation focusing on diagnostics and management, he shared that post-weaning rooms were dominated by ETEC F4/F18 and Salmonella detections, whereas L. intracellularis and Brachyspira shifted later in production. He noted that focusing sampling solely on age groups showing clinical signs would miss a large share of positive age groups, thereby justifying the implementation of age-targeted routine monitoring using promising enteric panel options.

European data demonstrates high prevalence of Salmonella Typhimurium on swine farms. Could its role within the porcine enteric complex be underestimated in practice?

• Daniel Sperling (Cz Univ. | Czech Republic): High-Quality Piglets: From Scientific Insight to Practical Success. Professor Sperling highlighted that the optimal management of piglets is crucial for future performance and production results. Coccidiosis and neonatal diarrhoea are emerging issues in piglet production, and current protocols need to be revised and improved. Injectable treatment with Forceris, combined with effective vaccination, improves efficacy and provides an optimal welfare solution. Early vaccination with Ecoporc Shiga against edema disease is an important tool for controlling mortality and subclinical ED in the nursery, especially during the ongoing ban on ZnO and ATB restrictions.

The event concludes with an interactive Round Table Q&A session involving all speakers, followed by a Gala Dinner for attendees at La Loggia.

Through events like this pre-symposium, Ceva Animal Health demonstrates that the future of swine production lies in the smart integration of diagnostics, next-generation biosecurity, and targeted therapeutics. As the industry faces shifting economic pressures and stricter regulatory frameworks, Ceva remains dedicated to delivering the comprehensive tools and actionable insights that empower veterinarians and producers to achieve long-term success.