NEONATAL DIARRHEA IN PIGS CAUSED BY Clostridium perfringens

Abstract

The outbreaks of enteritic infections in piglets caused by Clostridium perfringens belongs to the disease group with marked age incidence i.e. it normally occurs in suckling piglets aged to 7 days, usually on 2nd or 3rd day. At necropsy, the predominant pathomorphological lesions are most frequently observed in small intestine, especially in jejunum. However, in some cases the pathomorfological lesions may macroscopically be absent. For that reason, diagnostic criteria should consider: the disease history data (mortality pattern), clinical signs of the disease (bloody diarrhea in suckling piglts), patomorhological lesions and bacteriologic fi ndings. The material for research included samples from 5 swine farms, where health problems (diarrhea, increased mortality) in suckling piglets of different age were detected. In total 69 piglet carcases were submitted to necropsy. In typical cases the presence of bloody content in small intestine, snaky appereance of aff ected intestinal loops, the presence of emphysema in the intestinal wall were observed. Applying bacteriology testing (anaerobic cultivation) in the most examined cases Clostridium perfringens was detected in tissue samples.