Purdue Pork Page Archive
This material is for informational
purposes only. You cannot definitively diagnose the cause of respiratory
disease just by looking at affected pigs. Please consult your veterinarian
for a diagnosis and proper treatment
Growing/Finishing Respiratory
Diseases
Secondary infections such as Streptococcus suis, Haemophilus parasuis,
or Salmonella can infect the pig when one of the above mentioned diseases
are already present.
1.
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP)
Signs: Dependent
on stage of disease
Peracute:
- Sudden onset of severe illness
- Pigs found dead with no clinical signs of disease
- Fever, off feed, difficulty breathing, open mouth breathing
- Bloody foam coming from nose and/or mouth
Acute:
- Fever, depression, off feed
- Coughing
- Difficulty breathing, open mouth breathing
Chronic:
- Off feed
- Decreased average daily gain
Necropsy:
- Blood, necrotic(= dead) debris, and fibrin( yellow
strands of material) around lungs
- Blood tinged fluid in the thorax
- Bloody foam in trachea and lung airways
- Abscesses
Treatment: Consult your veterinarian
Prevention:
- Match health status of new herd entries with
that of your herd
- Isolate new herd additions for at least 30 days
- Optimize temperature
- Proper ventilation
- Avoid overcrowding
- Minimize mixing of animals
- Segregated early weaning
- Vaccination available, consult your veterinarian
2. Enzootic Pneumonia
Signs: Dependent on
agents involved
Mycoplasma infection only:
- Dry cough that lasts 6 - 8 weeks
- Mild symptoms
Mycoplasma with Pasteurella
- Moist cough with phlegm produced
- Thumping, difficulty breathing
- Fever, off feed, weight loss
- Death
Necropsy:
Mycoplasma only
- Lower front portion of lung affected
- Firm, purple gray areas of collapsed lung
- Distinct margin between affected and unaffected lung
Mycoplasma and Pasteurella
- Pneumonia with pus evident
- Fibrin attached to the outside of the lungs
Treatment: Consult your veterinarian
Prevention:
- Vaccination for Mycoplasma, consult your veterinarian
- All in all out, do not mix animals that are greater
than 2 weeks apart in the same air space
- Improve sanitation
- Reduce dust and humidity
- Proper ventilation
- Do not overcrowd
- Optimize temperature
- Keep a separate sick pen for poor doing pigs
3. Swine
Influenza
Signs:
- Dry, hacking, "goose-honk" cough that worsens with activity
- Sudden onset of symptoms
- Discharge from eyes and nose
- Fever, weakness, weight loss, unwillingness to move
- Pigs piling up, chilled with fever
- Difficulty breathing, open mouth breathing
- Most of herd affected
- Should recover in 5 - 7 days unless secondary infection involved
Necropsy:
- All or just lower front portion of lung may be affected
- Lungs are red, wet, and heavy with distinct areas
of purple, firm, collapsed lungs
- Enlarged bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes
Treatment: Consult your veterinarian
Prevention:
- Avoid stress (overcrowding, moving, mixing)
- Vaccinate if there is a high level of secondary
infections, consult your veterinarian
- Antibiotics to prevent secondary infections,
consult your veterinarian
4.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)
Signs:
- Fever, off feed, weak
- Variable signs of respiratory disease, coughing, sneezing due to secondary
infections
- Reduced average daily gain, poor performance
Necropsy:
- Mild lesions unless a secondary infection has occurred
Treatment: Consult your veterinarian
Prevention:
- Clean up environment
- Vaccination available, consult your veterinarian
- Antibiotics in feed to prevent secondary infections, consult your veterinarian
- Match health status of new entries to that of your herd
- Isolate new herd additions for at least 60 days, test for PRRS
5. Pseudorabies
Signs:
- Can be similar to influenza/mycoplasma
- Fever, weak, off feed
- Coughing, and "thumping"
Necropsy:
- Pneumonia, may also see lesions in the nose, tonsils, liver, and kidneys.
Treatment:Consult
your veterinarian, reportable disease
Prevention:
- Eradication - test and remove, consult your veterinarian
to develop a plan of action
- Antibiotics in the feed to prevent secondary
infection, consult your veterinarian
6.
Porcine Respiratory Corona Virus (PRCV)
Signs:
- Usually a very mild disease, but can beome severe
when in combination with other bacterial and viral infections
- Difficulty breathing, increased respiratory rate
- Weakness
- Secondary infection can occur
Necropsy:
- No gross lesions usually seen
- May consolidation or discoloring of the lung
Treatment: Consult your veterinarian
Prevention:
- Optimize environment
- Antibiotics in feed to prevent secondary infection,
consult your veterinarian
7.
Atrophic rhinitis
Signs:
- Sneezing
- Reddened eyes and staining of the skin around the eye
- Yellow to white nasal discharge
- Crooked snout
- Bleeding from nostrils
Necropsy:
- Loss of nasal passage structure
- Red and swollen nasal passages
- Crooked and irregular nasal bones
- Blood in nasal cavity
Treatment: Consult your veterinarian
Prevention:
- Vaccines are available
- Consult your veterinarian
- Segregated Early Weaning
8.
Inclusion body rhinitis
Signs:
- Can be similar to atrophic rhinitis
- Off feed, weak
Necropsy:
Treatment: Consult your veterinarian
Prevention:
- No vaccine, once infected have lifetime immunity
- Optimize environment
- Antibiotics in feed for secondary infections,
consult your veterinarian
Purdue Pork Page Archive