It’s estimated to be present in some 96 percent of swine herds in the United States. It shows no immediate outward symptoms but is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in grow-finish pigs. In its clinical and subclinical forms, it is estimated to cost producers between $2 and $22 per affected pig, depending upon the severity and duration of the disease.
It’s porcine proliferative enteropathy – commonly known as ileitis – an insidious and difficult to diagnose disease that is thought to cost the industry nearly $100 million annually.
Caused by the bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis, ileitis is most likely transmitted by fecal shedding of the bacterium by infected animals, which then contaminates feed and water ingested by other animals.
While ileitis can impact pigs at any age, studies have shown that the greatest frequency of enteric diseases in grow-finish animals can be credited to ileitis and appears with the greatest frequency in 14- to 24-week-old finisher pigs weighing 140 to 240 pounds.
Ileitis shows few outward symptoms – the damage comes from intestinal lesions caused by the bacteria, which likely impact feed conversion and overall health status.
What to look for
Common clinical signs in acute outbreaks are bloody diarrhea, weakness and depression, potentially resulting in a death loss of 5 to 6 percent.
The chronic form is less obvious, but the stress on the pig’s system may cause them to perform poorly and exhibit a mild form of diarrhea, which has been described as looking like wet cement.
While the disease can be present in a herd without causing a major wreck, clinical breaks have been traced to events such as:
•Weather stress including high heat or sudden weather changes;
•Co-mingling of pens or moving pigs;
•Overcrowding;
•Changes in ration formulations;
•Lax barn-to-barn and room-to-room biosecurity habits; and
•Substandard management of environmental conditions.
To maintain control of ileitis, pork producers must be vigilant in their biosecurity practices, watch pigs for diarrhea and lethargy, keep the premises as clear of fecal matter as possible and, where possible, manage weather extremes using ventilation and curtaining.
Therapeutically, antimicrobials may be administered via feed additives such as Pfizer Animal Health’s Lincomix® feed medication to both lessen the clinical effects of the disease and reduce shedding of the causative bacteria.
Talk with your veterinarian to determine the best plan of attack for ileitis control in your production system. For more details on identifying and controlling ileitis, visit www.pfizeranimalhealth.com
Editor’s Note: This commentary is sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health and is written by Leah Schomburg, a freelance writer and pork industry consultant. Information for this report is a compilation of research by:
Gebhart, Connie, Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn.
McOrist, Steven, Diplomat ECVP, Veterinary Pathology Services, Glenside, SA, Australia
Schwartz, Kent, Iowa State University Veterinary diagnostic Lab, Ames, Iowa
Winkelman, Nathan, Swine Services Unlimited, Inc., Morris, Minn.
For more information, go to: www.pfizeranimalhealth.com.
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