Veterinary Services

 

Greasy pig disease was diagnosed in two 28-day-old pigs examined as part of an investigation skin disease affecting 25 to 30% of recently weaned pigs for a five week period. The lesions started as minor scratches over the shoulders, ears and necks before progressing to involve the entire body. Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from the skin of both pigs.

Alimentary tract disorders

Swine dysentery was diagnosed on two units following identification of thickened large intestines and colonic serositis during abattoir monitoring for the Wholesome Pigs Scotland scheme. Brachyspira hyodysenteriae was detected by PCR test and culture in both cases. The units were unrelated and no clinical disease had been recorded up to that point. Both units were all-in/all-out finishers and both were subsequently emptied and thoroughly cleaned. The source of infection was not apparent for either farm. SACCVS regards this as an excellent example of the benefits of abattoir monitoring as a means of disease surveillance.

Respiratory tract disorders

Abattoir monitoring also played a role in the diagnosis of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) infection in 20-week-old finishing pigs from a commercial unit. Extensive pleurisy lesions were identified in slaughtered pigs that required additional work on the abattoir line. Subsequent questioning revealed that coughing affected batches of pigs on the unit.  APP was known to be present within herd so two pigs were submitted for postmortem examination. Necropsy findings comprising localised pleurisy with extensive fibrin tags noted over the diaphragmatic aspect of the caudal lung lobes and a fibrinous exudate present over the surface of the diaphragm itself.  In the adjacent lung parenchyma there were a limited number of dark islands of tissue consolidation. Bacterial cultures of lung tissue yielded growths of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and histopathology confirmed changes associated with APP infection. No pathology suggestive of other types of infectious pneumonia was noted and viral PCR testing of lung tissue was negative.