An Episode of Proliferative Hemorrhagic Enteropathy Associated with Lawsonia Intracellularis in a Pig Farm from Romania

Abstract

Introduction: In swine, Lawsonia intracellularis is known to be responsible for porcine proliferative enteropathy. The syndrome can be divided in an acute intestinal hemorrhage (proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy) affecting naive adult pigs and a wasting disease (porcine intestinal adenomatosis) in growing pigs. As new diagnostic techniques develop, there is increased number of pig farms where L. intracellularis is being identified worldwide. Aims: There are few reports of L. intracellularis outbreaks in Romania. We aimed to describe the clinical signs, treatment, outcome, gross necropsy and histopathological lesions from an episode of proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy associated with L. intracellularis in a farm from Transylvania. Materials and methods: A farm of 4000 pigs (TOPIGS line) from Bistrita-Nasaud County. The microscopical examination was composed of Hematoxilin and Eosin exam, Warthin-Starry silver stain and immunohistochemistry for Multi-Cytokeratin. Results: Over a period of 6 days, a total number of 10 pigs dyed (from 2000 animals in the age group 90-120 days), and 1 pig dyed (from 1000 animals in the age group 60-90 days) with pallor, anorexia or with no clinical signs. Gross lesions were represented by pallor of the carcass and were restricted to the ileum. The intestinal wall was thicker (cerebriform aspect) and turgid. A mixture of blood and fibrin was present in the ileum, impregnating the faeces in the large intestine. Histologically the mucosa was thicker due to epithelial proliferation (Multi-Cytokeratin positive), with few Goblet cells, with severe erosion, necrosis and haemorrhage. Curved rod-shaped bacteria with morphology consistent with L. intracellularis were observed in the apical cytoplasm of epithelial cells using the Warthin-Starry silver stain. The food was medicated with chlortetracycline (20 - 40 mg a.s./kg b.w./day) and the pigs remained healthy, with no further mortality. Conclusion: We report here an outbreak of proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy associated with L. intracellularis in a pig farm from Romania, emphasizing the importance of early diagnostic and control measures for this disease.