Diarrhoea in the growing pig - a comparison of clinical, morphological and microbial findings between animals from good and poor performance herds

Diarrhoea among growing pigs (8-13 weeks old) is a significant problem in many herds. Nine herds with poor performance and diarrhoea among growing pigs were selected on the basis of their piglet mean age at a body weight of 25 kg, compared to the overall mean age in Swedish herds. In addition, four herds with good average performance and no problems with diarrhoea were selected. Pigs were necropsied and samples for histology and microbiology were collected. Based on the necropsy findings, the pigs from the good performing herds were all judged to be healthy. The presence of Brachyspira pilosicoli and Lawsonia intracellularis was significantly correlated to poor performing herds and the results indicate that these microbes are main pathogens involved in enteric diseases among Swedish grower pigs. In addition, concomitant infections with other presumptive pathogens were commonly found. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.