The Etiology of Swine Dysentery

Abstract

Germ-free swine varying in age from 5 to 20 days were inoculated orally with cultures of either a spirochete (B-78), Vibrio coli, or a combination of the two. Both agents readily colonized the intestinal tracts of the exposed pigs without producing clinical or pathologic signs of swine dysentery. Acute disease and deaths occurred only when piglets were exposed to whole, ground colonic material reportedly from animals with swine dysentery. Disease and deaths were associated with Salmonella infantis.