Evidence-Based Approaches for Determining Effective Target Antigens to Develop Vaccines against Post-Weaning Diarrhea Caused by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Pigs: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Abstract

In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis (MA) and systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines against post-weaning diarrhea (PWD), caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), in piglets. A Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) was also performed to compare the effects of combining different target antigens on vaccine efficacy. Relevant electronic databases were searched using pre-specified search terms, and 17 studies were selected based on three outcomes: diarrhea, mortality, and average daily weight gain (ADWG). In pairwise MA, the vaccinated group showed a significant decrease in diarrhea (OR = 0.124 [0.056, 0.275]) and mortality (OR = 0.273 [0.165, 0.451]), and a significant increase in ADWG (SMD = 0.699 [0.107, 1.290]) compared with those in controls. Furthermore, NMA results showed that all vaccine groups, except for group D (LT enterotoxin), were effective against PWD. Rank probabilities indicated that the F4 + F18 + LT combination was the best regimen for preventing diarrhea (SUCRA score = 0.92) and mortality (SUCRA score = 0.89). NMA also demonstrated that, among the vaccine groups, those inducing simultaneous anti-adhesion and antitoxin immunity had the highest efficacy. Our results provide evidence-based information on the efficacy of vaccines in reducing PWD incidence in pigs and may serve as guidelines for antigen selection for commercial vaccine development in the future.

Genomic traits of multidrug resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolates from diarrheic pigs

“…In contrast, fimbriae F5, F6 and F41 are typically associated with ETEC-induced neonatal diarrhea in piglets, and have little correlation with PWD ( Frydendahl, 2002 ; Zhang et al, 2007 ). The fimbriae of ETEC have both immunogenic and antigenic properties and are the primary target for developing vaccines against this pathogen ( Ntakiyisumba et al, 2022 ). However, due to the prevalence of mixed infections and the diversity of ETEC pilus types, it remains challenging to determine the specific types of pili carried by infected individuals, which presents a significant obstacle to effective disease prevention and control.…”