Download Farrowing Room Management

“Suis-cide” Disease and Nursery
Production
Kevin J. Vilaca, B.Sc., M.Sc., DVM
Maitland Swine Services
Ontario, Canada
Main Areas
• The diseases
– Strep, H and A Suis
• Mini case study
• Treatment/control
• Prevention
Stockmanship
• This is an old word that is not used as much as
it used to be but is vital to pig production.
• Simply put, it is your intimate knowledge and
understanding of pigs.
• It is obtained by two ways
– Knowledge (learned or acquired from hands on)
– Experience (time put in and hands on)
• Everyone who will work with pigs will need to
have or develop it.
– Protocols are important and necessary but
stockmanship is vital to working successfully with
pigs.
Fear the Silver Bullet
• There is no such thing as a silver
bullet.
• Diseases on farm are complex and
multifactorial.
• Require you to have an assorted arsenal to solve the
problems.
• Any one that depends on only one method or one
approach for every situation (a silver bullet) is
dangerous.
• As a student, do not fall in to the silver bullet trap.
Approach each situation systematically and with an
open mind.
The Bacteria
• Streptococcus suis
• Haemophilus parasuis (Glassers Disease)
• Actinobacillus suis
• Great amount of virulence and strain
variation
• Colonization of animals occurs early in life
• Can be a primary or secondary disease
– Always look for an underlining primary disease
Clinical Picture
•
•
•
•
•
Neurological signs (staggering, paddling)
Respiratory distress (thumping, puffing)
Joint infection (lameness, stiffness)
Poor performance (growth, feed intake, etc.)
Increase in morbidity and mortality (dead
pigs)
• Post Mortem – polyserocytis with fibrin on
surface of internal organs (Thorax,
Pericardium, Abdomen)
Uneven pigs, Uneven Growth
• Swollen, inflamed
joints
Lameness
Dead Pig (sudden death)
Enlarged Heart,
Adhesions on
pericardium and
lungs
Completely adhered Pericardium
Fibrin adhesions on thoracic
surface and pericardium
Sample Selection
• Minimum Information
– Histology = Lung, liver, Spleen, Kidney (Heart,
Lymph nodes, Tonsils, Brain)
– Culture: Pluck (Lung+Heart etc.) with intact
pericardium
• Can also choose to swab other organs/tissues
• Brain Swab (I like this)
Sample Interpretation
• Histology :
– Lets you know what is going on at a cellular
level
– Gives you indications if there is an underlining
viral component – PRRS, SIV, PCV2 (lots of
times there is)
• Bacteriology (culture)
– Most important Questions - Is it significant?
– Some bacteria can be present in the respiratory
tract and not be significant
– How do you know?
Site
Heart
Culture
Serotype
Strep. suis
S. suis 7
Pericardium Strep. suis
S. suis 7
Lung
Strep. suis, H parasuis, S. suis 7+24,
P. multocida
H. parasuis 5
*Brain Swab Strep. suis
*Pleural
Swab
S. suis 7
Mixed Growth
including Proteus
* Indicates Swabs collected on Farm
Culture Interpretation
• Culture was able to grow 5 “Bugs”
– Strep suis 7 + 24, H. parasuis, P. multocida and
Proteus.
• Big question is which ones if any are
important?
• This is vital for treatment decisions, as well
as for decision making for possible
autogenous vaccines.
P. multocida
• This bacteria is a normal inhabitant of the
respiratory tract.
• Predominantly is an opportunistic bacteria
that multiplies when defense mechanisms
are down/damaged.
• In this case, it was unlikely responsible for
the disease since it was only isolated from
the lung
H. Parasuis
• This bacteria is known to cause disease and
the clinical signs we are seeing.
• It can be cultured from the lungs without
causing disease.
• In this case it was only cultured from the
lungs.
• Less likely to be the pathogen responsible
for disease.
Strep. suis
• Strep. suis can be found in the respiratory
tract of pigs and not cause disease.
• Strep. should not be cultured from tissues
that are otherwise sterile
– Strep. 7 was found in all tissues except the
pleural swab
– Strep. 24 was only found in the lung culture
– Since Strep. 7 was found in tissues that for all
intents and purposes are sterile, this is
significant
– The pathogen has clearly entered the blood
stream and established itself in other tissue
(Heart, Brain, Pericardium)
Proteus
• Fast growing and very easily overgrows
culture plates (drowns other bacteria out)
• Presence usually indicates the quality of the
sample collection (contamination)
• In this case it shows that the vet really needs
to learn to be more careful and collect better
samples when on farm!
Treatment (antibiotics)
• Ideally treatment should be based on culture
and sensitivity (perfect world)
• However, many times you have to make a
call to start treating on farm (pigs are dying)
• So how do you make your decision?
• NOTE: Always collect your samples. You may
need them if there is no response to treatment, and
once you have treated your ability to isolate the
bacteria may be diminished or biased.
Antibiotic selection
Route of Administration
• Feed
– Pro: low cost, ease of administration
– Con: delayed timing (ordering, delivering, feed already
in bins), Sick pigs may not eat.
• Water
– Pro: ease and speed of administration, sick pigs will
still drink
– Con: moderate cost
• Injectable
– Pro: accurate dosing of acute cases,
– Con: labour intensive, higher cost
• Often a combination of two of the above
Antibiotic Selection
Factors to consider
• Clinical picture – how aggressive is the disease
(mortality/production)
• Post mortem finding – what is the most likely
bacteria involved
• Past experience – in similar cases, what has
worked
• Response to previous treatments – have they
treated the pig with no response already (ASK)
• Susceptibility/Resistance – what was the
sensitivity pattern? (there is a difference between
in vitro results and in vivo results)
• Pharmacology – mode of action, absorption,
distribution
Control/prevention
• Stress is a killer: reduce them
– Transport, pig movement/handling
• Nursery environment
– Sanitation, temperature, ventilation,
• Management
– All in/ All out, stocking density, mixing of pigs, mixing
of ages/parity.
• In feed medication (preventative, pulse)
• Vaccination – Especially if resistance is an issue
• Education of barn staff – If they know why it is
important to do it they are more likely to get it
done
Temperature
• Pigs above are
too cold (pilled)
• Pigs below are
just right
(spread out)
Autogenous vaccines
• A non-commercial herd specific vaccine that is
composed of bacteria isolated from the farm which
the vaccine is to be used on.
• Sample (pathogen) selection is vital to vaccine
success.
• Multiple animals cultured over a 2 or 3 sample
periods
• Due to cost and efficacy only the bacteria
responsible should be included. (can be more than
one involved)
• Like the treatment example, you need to know
which bacteria is responsible.
Site
Heart
Culture
Serotype
Strep. suis
S. suis 7
Pericardium Strep. suis
S. suis 7
Lung
Strep. suis, H parasuis, S. suis 7+24,
P. multocida
H. parasuis 5
*Brain Swab Strep. suis
*Pleural
Swab
S. suis 7
Mixed Growth
including Proteus
In this case I would be starting off with a
vaccine that only contained S. suis 7
Importance of Viruses
• Always look for Primary Viral involvement
– PRRS – acts as an immunosuppressant to allow
bacteria to establish a foot hold
– Swine Influenza (SIV) – damages the lungs
defense mechanisms (bronchial cilia) and
prevent bacterial clearance (establishment)
– Circo Virus – leads to immunosuppressant and
allow bacteria to establish. Plays a greater role
than previously thought.
– Mycoplasma – a bacteria that acts by coating
the lining of the bronchiols preventing ciliary
action
Thank You!
AASV
Maitland Swine Services
Any Questions?
No such thing as a “Silly” Question