Pig colibacillosis: causes, symptoms and treatments, vaccine and prevention

Everyone who decides to start pig breeding should remember that for the proper organization of production, it is necessary to provide conditions for animals. It is necessary not only to properly feed the pigs, take care of them, but also be aware of common diseases. Among the most dangerous pathologies is colibacillosis in pigs. Knowing its symptoms, methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention, the livestock is saved as much as possible.

Causes and pathogens

The root cause of colibacillosis is Escherichia coli. To date, there are more than 9,000 of its variations. Only a few of them are able to infect pigs. The most widespread are two types - enterotoxigenic and enteroinvasive.

Bacteria are highly resistant to different environmental conditions - they live in soil and water for about 70 days, in feces - 30 days. When heated to 80 ⁰С, they remain viable for no more than 15 minutes; when boiled, they die immediately. The most common source of pathogenic bacillus is infected or recovered pigs. Sows often transmit colibacillosis to piglets through feces, urine, colostrum. Another route of infection is water, food, utensils. Pathogenic strains are capable of being carried by rodents.

Several factors act as triggers:

• lack of micro and macro elements;
• unbalanced diet;
• lack of sunlight;
• lack of proper walking.

Symptoms and forms of the disease

The state of the immune system of animals and the pathogenicity of the bacillus affect how colibacillosis proceeds:

• super sharp or lightning fast;
• spicy - peaks;
• subacute or declining towards recovery;
• chronically or for a long time.

The main symptoms of colibacillosis include:

• diarrhea;
• dehydration of animals;
• general intoxication;
• refusing food;
• discoordination;
• convulsions;
• body temperature reaches 42 ⁰С;
• damage to internal organs as a result of the spread of infection;
• depletion of the body.

In small pigs, unformed stools, mucus in the nasal passages, cyanosis of the integument, swelling of the eyelids, submandibular part, and neck signal infection.

Symptomatics of colibacillosis depends on the form of pathology - septic, enterotoxemic, enteritis.

Septic

This form is observed in newborn piglets. The course of the pathology is acute or hyperacute. The lethal outcome in young animals occurs within 1-2 days. The rate of development of the disease depends on how quickly the bacterium enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. External signs of colibacillosis may be as follows:

• complete refusal of animals from food;
• oppressed sluggish state of piglets;
• persistently high body temperature;
• change in coordination of movements;
• cardiac and respiratory failure;
• purulent discharge from the eyes;
• uncontrollable diarrhea;
• dehydration;
• general blood poisoning as a result of infection.

Enterotoxemic

After the piglets are weaned from the sow, they can be affected by the enterotoxemic form of colibacillosis. It is acute, the first manifestations are observed after 3-12 hours. Lethality is up to 50% of the population. After the introduction of the bacillus into the small intestine in animals, a number of symptoms are observed:

• loss of appetite;
• the animal becomes overly excitable due to damage to the central nervous system;
• twitch response to touching the skin of a piglet;
• convulsions;
• animal walks in circles;
• diarrhea;
• transition to a state of collapse.

Enteritic

In this form, the pathology proceeds subacutely or chronically. Animal mortality is low. The disease is determined by the lethargy of the individual, its lethargy, complete refusal to eat, uncontrollable diarrhea, dehydration.

Methods of diagnosing the disease

To diagnose colibacillosis, an assessment of clinical symptoms and analysis of animal feces is carried out. If the case has already begun, samples from the dead individuals should be sent for research. For analysis, fresh feces are collected from several (5-10) piglets. In order for the results to be undistorted, the material of individuals that were not given antibiotics is checked. If pathogenic bacteria are isolated from the spleen and brain, the diagnosis of colibacillosis is confirmed.

After the death, infected piglets visually detect bloody fluid in the lungs, serous fluid in the pericardial region, hemorrhages in the intestines, swelling of the lymph nodes, flabbiness of the liver and kidneys, emaciated and pale muscles.

The diagnosis of colibacillosis implies the need to exclude other pathologies: dysentery, enteritis, erysipelas, plague.

Rules for the treatment of colibacillosis (escherichiosis) in piglets

The effectiveness of colibacillosis treatment depends on how quickly it is started. The disease is spreading rapidly, so you can not hesitate to call a special service. Based on the tests, the veterinarian prescribes the dosage of drugs, taking into account the age, weight and condition of the animals. Treatment of escherichiosis consists in eliminating the symptoms:

• dehydration - use sodium chloride;
• disorder of the gastrointestinal tract - use probiotics, drugs to combat inflammation;
• disorders of the heart - caffeine benzoate;
• poisoning the body - enterosgel, activated charcoal.

Piglets are offered food with a high content of vitamin C, which helps to restore the immunity of animals, they begin to eat better.

What is the danger of the disease

Colibacillosis is a big threat to pigs for several reasons:

• piglets are affected at a very early age;
• bacteria spread very quickly;
• pigs are rapidly losing water due to diarrhea;
• acidosis occurs;
• after the penetration of bacteria into the blood and lymph, a general infection occurs;
• mortality due to infection is up to 100%.

Vaccine use

Vaccination is considered the best way to fight the disease. In order for piglets to receive immunity, the sow is vaccinated one and a half months before farrowing twice with an interval of 2 weeks. A polyvalent vaccine is used. Already at the age of 7 days, piglets develop active immunity. Later, 3 weeks before weaning, they are vaccinated with the same drug as the sow.

For greater effectiveness, veterinarians recommend the use of an autovaccine. Pigs are vaccinated with it as early as 5 days of age. The same serum is used to treat colibacillosis, using an increased dose.

Other prevention measures

In order to protect the livestock from infection as much as possible, a number of preventive measures are taken:

• Transfer sows to separate nurseries 2 weeks before farrowing.
• Before this, the room is disinfected, the contaminated body of the animal is washed and treated with formalin solution.
• Clean the vacated room with soda ash and further treatment with a strong jet of water.
• One week before farrowing, cut the animal's diet in half.
• Immediately before farrowing, pigs are treated with a disinfectant solution (rear).

If infection is suspected early, animals are isolated and transferred to a new, previously unused location. The quality of the feed is improved. In the acute course of colibacillosis, start taking medications as early as possible.

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