Lecture 19: Rest of Nursing Health & Nursery Pig Health Flashcards
What is Cystoisospora suis agent?
-Protozoal parasite, Cystoisospora suis
What is the pathogenesis and predisposing factors of cystoisospora?
Pathogenesis:
-Coccidia grow in enterocytes of small intestine
-Cause milk to moderate villous atrophy
-Occytes- resistant to disinfection (hard to get rid of)
Predisposing Factors
-Cement floors (porous hard ti get rid of parasite, oocytes very sticky)
-Late summer (20-30C like temp in farrowing rooms)
What are clinical signs of Coccidian diarrhea ?
-mild creamy diarrhea
-Affects older piglets at least 5 days old but usually 1-3w of age
-Slow growth, low ADG
-Poor doers, hairy (they grow thicker hair)
-high mobility but low mortality
-Most litters from all ages of sows affected
NOTE: might not see diarrhea but common complaint from farmers is pigs aren’t meeting weaning weight
What are control methods for coccidian diarrhea?
-Antibiotic treatment ineffective
-No vaccine (not virus is a parasite)
-Anti-parasite medication available
-Seal floor by painting it
-All in/all out management
LONG TERM: change flooring to perforated, raised floors
What are the common diseases in nursery pigs?
-Greasy pig
-Streprococcus menigitis
-Post weaning multi systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS)
-Post weaning E. coli diarrhea (PWECD)
What are nursery pigs?
-Weaners- once weaned from sows they are nursery or weaner pigs
-Pigs are typically in nursery barn/room from 3weeks until 10 weeks of age (7 weeks total in the nursery)
-Target is minimum 5kg into nursery and 25kg out of nursery
-Mortality <2-3% (much lower Han pre-wean mortality)
What are nursery pig health challenges?
-Stress of weaning
-Stress of mixing
-Declining immunity (passive immunity ending)
-Change in GI flora
-Dietary change
How can we manage the stress of nursery piglet health?
-Requires high level of management due to young age of pigs at weaning + passive immunity declining
-Very warm, dry, clean environment
-Highly digestible feed- transition from milk-based to grain-based diet
-Special care for pigs not adapting to new environment (close eye maybe separate all smaller pigs together)
What are feeding strategies that can be done to help nursery pig health?
Feeding
-Feed intake drops at weaning
-Provide small amounts frequently
-Highly digestible and palatable feed- very expensive
Place feed on board/creep feeder on floor until eating well for the first few days
What do the environment and water have to do with nursery health?
Water
-Young pigs prefer bowl type drinkers
-Enough drinkers for # of pigs in pen (1/10pigs)
-Check daily to see if working
Environment
-Nursery rooms hot temp (30C) since they are very susceptible to chilling (HOT YOGA)
-Clean environment
What are special care options for nursery pig health?
-Hospital/recovery pens- code of practice
-Check pigs many times per day, walk pens (making sure no pigs are recombinant)
-Sort small pigs together to reduce competition with larger pigs
What is the Etiologic agent for greasy pig?
Bacteria: Staphylococcus Hyicus
-Normal flora of pig skin- secondary infection
-Normal flora develops into an infection due to some other underlying factors- an opportunist
*Pigs fighting resulting in cuts and abrasions
*High humidity in the room
-Dermatitis of young pigs- most common in nursery pigs but also possible in nursing pigs
What are general pathogenesis for greasy pig?
-Abrasion occurs (cut or scratch) usually due to fighting result of mixing pigs, or fighting during nursing
-Opportunist Staph hyicus enters the body and produces a toxin (not all Staph hyicus produce toxin farm dependent)
-Infection develops (park crusty lesions beginning on face- can spread over entire body) can be localized or generalized infection
What are prevention/control and treatment for greasy pig?
Prevention/control
-Clip needle teeth of newborn piglets
-Reduce fighting (min mixing, optimum stocking density)
-Reduce humidity in barn
Treatment: Injectable and topical antibiotics, some AMR has developed. NO VACCINE
What is streptococcal meningitis and what is the etiologic agent?
Agent: Streptococcus suis type 2
-Normal inhabitant of respiratory and genital tract
-Lives for a long time in the environment
-Neurological disease (acute form)
-Zoonotic disease (risk to human health)
How is Strep suis a public health concern?
-Rare but severe disease- ZOONOSIS
-Mostly type 2
-Meningitis, brain inflammation
-Deafness n 50-65% of meningitis cases
-20% case-fatality in 2005 Chinese outbreak
-1 case in ON in 2017
* Most patients have contact with pigs
*Entry through skin wounds
*Washing hands is effective (prevention strategies)
What is the transmission of Strep?
Transition is both: Vertical and horizontal
Sow-piglet (vertical)
-Via genital tract during parturition
-Via respiratory & alimentary routes during lactation
Pig-Pig (horizontal)
-Nurseries and beyond
-Onset of disease typically 5-10woa (nursery & grower)
What are clinical signs of strep?
Early signs: Head tilt, circling, trembling
Acute signs:
-Pig lying on side
-Paddling*
-Ataxia (neurological unsteadiness or walking weird)
-Convulsions*
-Found dead
*= too late for treatment
What are prevention and treatment options for strep?
Prevention:
-Reduce stress (avoid over crowding, avoid frequent mixing of pigs, provide optimal ventilation, temperature
-Control other disease
-Strategic prophylaxis: medicate in feed/water during times of stress
-Vaccination- minimal effectiveness so not widely used
Treatment:
-Isolate sick pigs in hospital pen- food and water
-Injectable antibiotics- early treatment is essential
-If treatment ineffective, then euthanasia
What is the etiologic agent for Post weaning multi systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS)?
Agent: Porcine circovirus Type 2 (PCV-2)
-PCV2 is ubiquitous in Canadian swine herds
-Necessary BUT INSUFFICIENT agent in PMWS
Recap:
necessary cause: without this factor disease can’t occur but the presence of a disease agent may not be sufficient to cause disease
Sufficient cause: Factors working together to produce disease, alone one factor may not be sufficient but in various combinations disease occurs
What is the pathogenesis of PMWS?
Pathogenesis:
-Oro-nasal transmission (pigs-pigs)
-Largely unknown- infectious & non-infectious co-factors or triggers play a role in disease
-Immuno-suppression- reduction in lymphocytes, macrophages
*predisposes the pigs to 2 degree diseases
*Variation in lesions & clinical appearance
What are the clinical signs of PMWS?
-Subclinical infection
Clinical signs:
-Wasting- weight loss/emaciation
-Enlarged lymph nodes
-Respiratory signs (coughing, rapid breathing)
-Diarrhea
-Jaundice
What are the herd presentations of PMWS?
Herd presentation:
Acute- high mortality (>25-30%) & high case fatality
Endemic- sporadic mortality
Clinical sings vary: not all signs are noted in the same pig, but most are evident on an affected farm over time
What are prevention/control strategies for PMWS?
-Less mixing of pigs, proper stocking density
-Adequate air & environment quality
-Proper sanitation
-Biosecurity- all-in/all-out flow in nursery
-Euthanize affected pigs
-Control other diseases (bc infectious control factors)
-Highly efficacious vaccine (VACCINATE administer at nursery arrival & again 3w later)
-If still issue after vax, investigate to see what problem is, are we having issues with management or other viral diseases
What are clinical signs of Post-Weaning coli diarrhea (PWECD)?
Clinical signs:
-Pasty to watery diarrhea
-Red perineum
-Poor growth (low ADG)
-Some pigs may die suddenly before signs of diarrhea occur- purple discolouration of abdomen (sepsis)
What are prevention strategies for PWECD?
Prevention:
-Warm dry pens (hot yoga room) -motility impaired
-All-in/all-out flow (clean more effectively)
- +/- acidifiers in feed/water (knowing Ecoil produces alkaline diarrhea)
- +/- other feed additives (zinc or increased fibre can help control bc Ecoli likes high fibre but also affect pig bc changing diet so be carful)
- +/- antibiotics
