Causes of Pig Mortality in Kenya - A Ten Year Retrospective Postmortem Study

Abstract

A total of 267 pig carcasses comprising of 59 adults, 121 weaner/grower pigs and 87 piglets were examined at post mortem in the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Nairobi during a 10 year period (1995-2004). Based on the body system most severely affected, 117 pigs (43.8%) died of alimentary tract conditions, 68 (25.5%) due to respiratory tract conditions, 18 (6.7%) died of musculoskeletal conditions, 7 (2.6%) due to cardio-vascular problems, 6 (2.3%) each due to cutaneous and nervous conditions and 2 cases (0.8%) due to diseases of hematopoeitic system. Another 15 pigs (5.6%) died of septicemic conditions while 28 cases (10.5%) had no specific diagnosis. Of the 117 pig carcasses with alimentary tract conditions, 74 (63.3 %) succumbed to various forms of gastroenteritides, 41 (35%) died of edema disease of swine and 2 (1.7%) died of glossitis and gastric ulceration. Gastroenteritis mostly affected piglets (82.6%) and weaners/growers (12.4%) and few adult animals (5%). Edema disease on the other hand mostly afflicted weaner/grower pigs (80%) to a lesser extent the adults (12%) and least affected the piglets (8%). Although, the etiological agent(s) were not fully characterized, bacteria ( B. anthracis, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp, Salmonella spp, Mycoplasma spp, Pasteurella spp, Haemophilus spp and Brachyspira spp ), viruses (African swine fever virus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus) and nematode parasites ( Trichuris spp, Ascarid spp and Strongyloides spp ) were either isolated or suspected. These results show that gastrointestinal diseases are still a major constraint to pig production in Kenya. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 29 2005: pp. 67-70