Causes Of Death In Swine In Jos Area Of Plateau State

Bacterial diseases caused deaths in 84.68 percent of dead pigs recorded in piggeries of Jos Area of Plateau State of the bacterial diseases the most prevalent were colibacillosis, erysipelas, oedema disease, pneumonias and salmonellosis. But deaths in 9.68 percent were due to non-infectious causes. Ascariasis and cysticercosis were the main parasitic diseases. Early treatment of sick swine and improved husbandry and management would have certainly reduced the losses which the pig producers had sustained in consequence of these conditions

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium J.R. et G. Forst) and winter Savory (Satureja montana L.) Essential Oils and Their Blends against Pathogenic E. coli Isolates from Pigs

Neonatal diarrhoea (ND), post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) and oedema disease (OD) are among the most important diseases affecting pig farming due to economic losses. Among the main aetiological agents, strains of Escherichia coli are identified as the major responsible pathogens involved. Several strategies have been put in place to prevent these infections and, today, research is increasingly studying alternative methods to antibiotics to reduce the antibiotic resistance phenomenon. Essential oils (EOs) are among the alternative tools that are being investigated. In this study, the in vitro effectiveness of winter savory and manuka essential oils and their mixtures in different proportions against strains of E. coli isolated from episodes of disease in pigs was evaluated. The EOs alone demonstrated slight antibacterial effectiveness, whereas the blends, by virtue of their synergistic action, showed remarkable activity, especially the 70%–30% winter savory–manuka blend, showing itself as a potential tool for prevention and therapy.

Oedema disease: a review of the disease and control and preventative measures

Oedema disease is caused by a toxin produced by Shiga toxin-encoding Escherichia coli. The susceptibility of pigs to oedema disease is often increased shortly after weaning due to stress and an increase of presence of specific receptors, susceptible for F18, needed for the colonisation of the small intestine and also due to change of feed, mainly from sow milk-based carbohydrates (milk sugar) to starch from grains, which are not so easily digested. The correct diagnosis of oedema disease is important in order to determine the control or preventative measures that can be implemented on farm. Vaccination has been shown to be the most successful method for preventing clinical oedema disease and a reduction in mortality. Vaccination can also have a positive effect on the reduction of antibiotic usage and ZnO on a farm, which is extremely important in ensuring livestock industries are meeting reduction targets. By ensuring effective hygiene and biosecurity measures are in place alongside vaccination, the negative impacts of oedema disease on production can be minimised.

Progress in the development of vaccines and strategies of their application in the control of infectious diseases of swine

Data are presented concerning vaccines used in the prophylaxis and control of some viral and bacterial infectious diseases of swine, particularly against: MPS, PRRS, PMWS CSF, AD, SI, E. coli, Cl. perfringens type C and A and oedema disease. The lower efficacy in immunization of inactivated vaccines is stressed. However in case of live vaccines against PRRS this is not always the case since also live attenuated vaccines deliver unsatisfactory results of immunization. This is explained by frequently occurring genetic changes in the genome of the field PRRSV strains in comparison with the strain or strains being in the vaccine. Vaccines against PMWS are characterized, underlining high efficacy of the vaccines in the Baculovirus system. After withdrawing from field use against CSF the vaccines Lapest and Cellpest a recombinant vaccine against CSF was introduced for control of this disease. A recombinant vaccine against AD of swine is mentioned, which was successfully used in eradication program in Europe. Of high practical value is mentioned a vaccine against SI containing subptypes H1N1, H3N2 and H1N1. Referring to vaccines against viral diseases of swine marker vaccines were mentioned enabling differentiation of animals infected from vaccinated (DIVA strategy). At the beginning of the XXI century several new and effective vaccines were developed, produced and used against diarrheal diseases of different etiology and for the first time against oedema disease. The role of strategy of vaccination depending on the characteristic of the infectious disease, the vaccine and the production system of swine is present.

Gene typing of the colonisation factors F18 of Escherichia coli isolated from piglets suffering from post-weaning oedema disease

Production of verotoxin Stx2e and expression of F18 and K88 colonisation factors were investigated in 222 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from weaned piglets. Sixty-two, 30, and 11 of the 129 verotoxigenic strains were classified to the serogroups O139, O141, and O157, respectively. Other serogroups were identified only sporadically and sixteen strains were unclassifiable. No colonisation factors were detectable in 15 (24.2%) of the 62 verotoxigenic strains classified with the serogroup O139. The fedA gene shared by the colonisation factors F18 was detected by PCR in 47 of the O139 strains (all but one F18ab). Gene fedA, in which the amplification product was digested with endonuclease NgoMI (F18ac), was peculiar to the serogroup O141. No colonisation factors were detected in 19 (14.7%) strains. Genes encoding the colonisation factors F18ac and F18ab were demonstrated in 22 (23.7%) and 11 (11.8%), of the 93 nonverotoxigenic and mostly enterotoxigenic strains, respectively.