Lecture 10: Diarrhea management in swine

Most common enteric diseases

• Cystospora suis

• Clostridium perfringens

• E. coli

• Lawsonia intracellualrias

• Brachyspira hyodysenteriae

• Gastric ulcers

What is the age of immunocompetency?

Around 70d of gestation

What is the etiology of colostral immunity

• IgG primarily → systemic antibodies

• Acquisition stops @ 24-36 hours after bird

IgA produced throughout lactation, local antibodies in the gut. NOT PRESENT IN REPLACEMENT FEEDS

Lactogenic immunity

Differential diagnosis for neonatal diarrhea

• E. coli (K88, K99, 987P, F41)

• Viral (Rotavirus, TGE, PED)

• Cocci

• Clostridum (Perfringens type C and A, difficle)

General mangement of neonatal diarrhea

• Aggressively treat the whole litter

• ~95 F environment and the drier the better

• Slow vaccination, promote colostrum intake, and ad libitum sow feed consumption

Usually a problem in farrowing or early nursery. Minimum age of sypmtoms → 5 days

Cystoisospora suis

CS of Cysto

• Scour starting at 5 days or later

• Unresponsive to injectable antimicrobials

• Sporadic spread among litter

• Low mortality rates w/prolonged recovery

Macroscopic lesions seen with cysto

Unremarkable but fibronectoric membrane in jejnum and ileum. No hemorrhage even in severe cases

Histopath findings with cysto

Villous atrophy, villous fusion, crypt hyperplasia, and necrotic eneteritis

How can you ID cysto?

Oocyts in feces seen via fecal float

There is no cysto vaccine, will feeding infected piglet feces to pre-farrowing sows help?

NO will make it worse

Best way to control cysto

SANITATION

What antitibotics can be used for cysto?

• NO approved treatments

• Marquis oral past diluted with water

• Coccidostat so repeating treatment daily is indicated for 3-5 days

Toxin driven, C is more common . Persist as highly resistant spores in the environment so very difficult to eliminate from a barn facility.

C. perfringens

CS of C. perfringens

• Rapid and severe dehydration w/entire litter affected

• Blood on pen and flooring

• Mortality high (50%)

• Can occur as early as 12hrs post birth-2 weeks of age

Macroscopic lesions seen with C. perfringens

Blood in lumen, inflammation, “tiger-stripped” appearance. Chronic shows thickened wall and rigid rope.

How do you diagnose C. perfringens?

PCR testing

Which of the C. perfringens is considered core vaccine?

Type C, administered pre-farrowing to booster colostaral antibens

What antibiotics are used for C. perfringens

• BMD is approved for feed administration in pregnant sows for control

• No direct treatment for piglets is approved

Aka edema disease

E. coli

• Often hemolytic strains w/ one or more fimbri a and one or more toxin genes

• Fimbri ao adhesions of clinical sign (F18, F4)

• Combination of toxins and fimbria determine clinical outcome

• Pigs can be bred to be resistant

• Historically right after weaning, now 2-3 weeks into nursery

E. coli

Risk factors for E. coli

• Chilling, cold floor, drafts

• Poor quality diet (Fish meal or poor pellet integrity)

• Fed changes, medication changes, simultaneous feed and medication changes

• Poor sanitation between groups

  • Water lines

CS of E. coli

• Mild diarrhea to severe neurological signs w/ rapid death

  • CNS signs are toxin-mediated so distinguishable with absence of elevated rectal temp

ML of E. coli

Minimal rarely helpful

How do you diagnose E. coli?

PCR w/genotypes and culturing

When do you vaccinate for E. coli?

Pre-farrowing may induce high maternal antibodies for 5-7 weeks

Autogenous approach where a fibria positive toxin negative isolate from the population is propagated and fed back to the growing pigs at weaning

Live competitive exclusion cultures

Treatment of E. coli

• Mild cases are self-limiting

  • Gentamicin sulfate (water) and neomycin (drinking water)

Ileitis, PPE, PIA

Lawsonia intracellularis

Ileal villi develop secondary and tertiary branches → thickening of ileal mucosa

Porcine intestinal adenomatosis (PIA)

Fibrinonecrotic membrane forms on ileal mucosa, may extend to colon

Necrotic form

Sudden death, most common in high health gilts introduced to an established sow farm

Acute hemorrhagic from

CS of Lawsonia intracellularis

• Poor doing pigs that grow slower than contemporaries

• Malabsorption

• Diarrhea ranges from mild to melena to occult blood

  • Increases number of cull or light weight pigs

ML of Lawsonia intracellular is

• Thickened ileum w/fibrinonecrotic membrane or fibrin “plug” in lumen

  • Ileitis

How can you diagnose Lawsonia intracellularis?

• IHC

• PCR of intestinal content/tissues

  • ELISA

What kind of vaccine is available for Lawsonia intracellularis?

MLV, very effective but sensitive to use of mass antibiotics

What antibiotics are approved for treating Lawsonia intracellularis?

• Tylvalosin, tylosin in water

  • Tylosin, Tiamulin, BMD, lincomycin in feed

Swine dysentery

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae

• Mucohemorrhagic diarrhea

• Marked inflammation of large intestine

• Grow finishing pigs (>50 lbs)

• Rarely fatal, prognosis generally good

• RODENT CONTROL

Brachyspira hyodysenteriae

Erosion of the non-glandular portion of the stomach w/in 24-48 hours of feed removal. Can vary from superficial to complete penetrating.

Gastric ulcers

Acute ulcers signs

Pig dead w/ large blood clot in stomach, anemia (very pale)

Subacute ulcer signs

Found dead/live but very sick w/ blood in small intestine

Chronic ulcer signs

Gaunt pigs with black, tarry looking stool, pale appearance

Lesions seen with ulcers

Non-glandular portion of stomach where esophagus is eroded

Risk factors for ulcers

• control respiratory disease

• Feed is not available

• Find grind to corn

• Pellet diets that fall apart essential become a deity that is too finely ground

• Fine grind disrupts mucous protect layer of the stomach

A 6-day-old piglet presents with scour. The piglet is unresponsive to injectable antimicrobials, and the condition is sporadically spreading among the litter with low mortality..

What is the most likely diagnosis? a) Escherichia coli b) Clostridium perfringens c) Cystoisospora suis d) Rotavirus

c) Cystoisospora suis

A neonatal piglet, less than 12 hours old, exhibits rapid and severe dehydration, with blood observed on the pen and flooring. Mortality is high, affecting the entire litter.

What is the most likely cause? a) Escherichia coli b) Clostridium difficile c) Cystoisospora suis d) Clostridium perfringens

d) Clostridium perfringens

A weaned pig exhibits neurological signs and rapid death.

Which Escherichia coli combination is most likely the cause? a) F41 + LT b) F18 + Stx c) K88 + Sta d) 987P + STb

b) F18 + Stx

A group of growing pigs are not performing well, and some have mild diarrhea and are a bit pale. At slaughter, thickened ileums are noted..

What is the likely diagnosis? a) Swine Dysentery b) Lawsonia intracellularis c) Escherichia coli d) Gastric Ulcers

b) Lawsonia intracellularis

A grow-finisher pig is found dead with a large blood clot in its stomach and is very pale.

What is the most likely cause of death? a) Brachyspira hyodysenteriae b) Lawsonia intracellularis c) Gastric Ulcers d) Escherichia coli

c) Gastric Ulcers

A swine farm is experiencing an outbreak of Clostridium perfringens type C.

Which preventative measure is most effective? a) Antibiotics in feed b) Sanitation c) Sow vaccination d) Competitive exclusion

c) Sow vaccination

Post-weaning pigs are experiencing diarrhea. PCR testing reveals the presence of F18 and Stx genes..

What is the pathogen? a) Lawsonia intracellularis b) Brachyspira hyodysenteriae c) Escherichia coli d) Cystoisospora suis

c) Escherichia coli

A piglet presents with diarrhea at 3 days of age.

What is the least likely cause? a) Escherichia coli b) Clostridium perfringens c) Cystoisospora suis d) Rotavirus

c) Cystoisospora suis

A farmer notices mucohemorrhagic diarrhea in grow-finishing pigs.

What is the most likely cause? a) Lawsonia intracellularis b) Brachyspira hyodysenteriaec) Escherichia coli d) Gastric Ulcers

b) Brachyspira hyodysenteriae

A producer is looking to prevent Lawsonia intracellularis on their farm.

What is the best method? a) Strict biosecurity b) Rodent control c) Sanitation d) Vaccination

d) Vaccination

A piglet is diagnosed with Clostridium perfringens type C. The producer is using a sow vaccination program..

How is this administered? a) Administered to sows and gilts pre-farrowing to booster colostral immunity. b) Administered to piglets at weaning. c) Administered in the water to piglets. d) Administered to the whole herd

a) Administered to sows and gilts pre-farrowing to booster colostral immunity.

A farm is having trouble with E. coli post-weaning.

What should they check? a) Water lines b) Rodent control c) Temperature d) Sow vaccination

a) Water lines

A farm has a Lawsonia intracellularis outbreak, and needs to medicate the water, but cannot inject.

What is a good choice? a) Gentamicin sulfate b) Tylosin c) Neomycin d) Bacitracin methylene disalicylate

b) Tylosin

A pig is found dead. Upon necropsy, the non-glandular portion of the stomach where the esophagus enters is eroded.

What is the diagnosis? a) Lawsonia intracellularis b) Gastric Ulcers c) Escherichia coli d) Swine Dysentery

b) Gastric Ulcers

A veterinarian is trying to determine if a Lawsonia intracellularis vaccine is working in the herd.

What test should they run? a) Fecal Float b) Culture c) PCR d) ELISA

d) ELISA

A farmer wants to prevent E. coli in piglets.

What can be administered to the sow? a) Live competitive exclusion cultures b) Autogenous vaccine c) Killed vaccine d) Antibiotics

c) Killed vaccine

A veterinarian is presented with a piglet with diarrhea. They perform a necropsy and observe a fibronecrotic membrane in the jejunum and ileum.

What is the most likely diagnosis? a) Lawsonia intracellularis b) Escherichia coli c) Cystoisospora suis d) Clostridium perfringens

c) Cystoisospora suis

A farm is experiencing chronic gastric ulcers.

What might be a cause? a) Too coarse of a grind b) Lawsonia intracellularis c) Fine grind to corn d) Brachyspira hyodysenteriae

c) Fine grind to corn

A farm is having trouble with scouring pigs, but is unsure of the cause. They are sending off samples to the lab.

What is the preferred diagnostic test for E. coli? a) Culture b) Serology c) Fecal Float d) PCR with genotyping

d) PCR with genotyping

A veterinarian is called to a farm with 60 lb. grow finishing pigs with mucohemorrhagic diarrhea.

What is the most important control point? a) Temperature b) Rodent control c) Water quality d) Sanitation

b) Rodent control