U. of Saskatchewan Research Confirms Bacterial Cause of Porcine Ear Necrosis

New research from the University of Saskatchewan has identified the primary bacterial agent responsible for porcine ear-tip necrosis, a painful and costly condition affecting pigs in every major pork-producing region.

Ear-tip necrosis, first described in the 1950s, causes the ear tissue to turn black and deteriorate. For decades, theories pointed to mycotoxins, porcine circovirus, and other contributing factors—but no definitive cause had been proven.

A research team led by Dr. Matheus (Mateus) Costa, associate professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and adjunct professor at Utrecht University, has now confirmed that Fusobacterium necrophorum is the direct cause of the disease.

Blind Trial Confirms Infectious Nature of the Disease
Supported by funding from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, researchers conducted a blind clinical trial in which pigs were artificially inoculated with Fusobacterium necrophorum and compared to uninoculated sentinel pigs.