Protect your pigs to maximize performance

Enteric diseases, caused by infectious agents affecting the intestinal tract, have a highly significant impact on pig production, health-wise and economically. While PED is currently in the spotlight and Salmonella infections are most relevant when it comes to food-borne disease in humans. Ileitis caused by the intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis is globally the most common enteric disease in pigs.

Clinical Signs The leading clinical sign in enteric diseases is usually diarrhea. Depending on the type of infectious agent, clinical signs and severity of the disease may vary significantly, ranging from mild diarrhea in a few animals to bloody diarrhea associated with a substantial increase in mortality. However, even if it goes clinically unnoticed enteric disease can have a negative impact on performance, due to alterations in digestion, absorption and use of nutrients.

Diagnostics and Control Diagnostics start on farm with the anamnestic report, clinical examination and necropsy. Samples should be taken to confirm by laboratory testing which pathogens are involved.
In acute outbreaks bacterial diseases might be treated with antibiotics to limit or reduce the clinical signs and to avoid losses. However, prevention is the more sustainable solution, especially for diseases and pathogens endemically present in a system or on a farm. Preventative measures include, but are not limited to, vaccination, biosecurity and optimizing nutrition.

Vaccination Vaccines are available for an increasing number of enteric pathogens. The ideal type of vaccine and route of administration depend on the pathogen(s) involved in the disease. For actively immunizing pigs against enteric pathogens modified live, orally applied vaccines have proven to be effective, safe and easy to use.