Survey of Porcine Proliferative Enteritis in the Tohoku District of Japan

Genotyping of Equine Lawsonia intracellularis Sampled in Japan by Using Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis

The incidence of equine proliferative enteropathy, caused by Lawsonia intracellularis, is increasing around the world. To investigate the relationships of variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) patterns with host species and clinical status in horses, multilocus VNTR analysis (MLVA) was applied to 98 L. intracellularis samples collected from horses, seven from pigs, seven from wildlife, one vaccine strain, and 17 public strains. The VNTR patterns were highly diverse: a total of 130 samples identified 99 distinct patterns, and the 98 horses were classified into 71 different patterns. A phylogenetic tree based on the MLVA showed three clusters: porcine, equine, and miscellaneous cluster. The equine cluster contained 46 horse samples, of which 42 (91.3%) were collected from two sampling areas. The MLVA could discriminate horse samples from pig, but the horse samples in the miscellaneous cluster could not be distinguished from wildlife samples. As for clinical data of the horses, the VNTR patterns were unrelated to horse age, clinical signs, and clinical outcomes. This study shows that VNTR patterns had no clear connection with equine clinical status, but the MLVA could be useful to investigate its epidemiological relationships, and interspecific transmission of L. intracellularis between horse and wildlife cannot be ruled out.

Probiotic supplementation improves reproductive performance of unvaccinated farmed sows infected with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus

We investigated if probiotic supplementation could improve the health and reproductive performance of unvaccinated lactating sows infected with porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus. Twenty unvaccinated pregnant sows were equally allocated to probiotic‐supplemented (P) and control (C) groups. For the experiment, 15 g/day of probiotic compound BIO‐THREE PZ was given to P sows. Reproductive performance was checked daily. The number of neonates fostered by each sow was maintained at eight throughout the experiment. Individual milk production post‐parturition was measured twice. Milk protein and fat ratios were determined by a milk analyzer. Total immunoglobulin (Ig) A and G concentrations were measured by ELISA. At day 7 post‐parturition, the body weight of P sows was 10 kg higher than that of C sows, and at day 3 post‐parturition, P sows produced more milk (+2 kg) and had a higher IgA concentration in whey than did C sows (p < .05). Finally, unlike C sows, P sows tended to return to estrus faster, and had larger piglets at birth with a lower mortality percentage during early days of suckling. In conclusion, probiotic compound BIO‐THREE PZ helped strengthen the immune system of unvaccinated, PED‐infected sows and improved their reproductive performance.

An atypical porcine proliferative enteropathy of malgrowth piglets

Two 60-day-old pigs showing clinical signs of malgrowth and diarrhea were diagnosed as atypical porcine proliferative enteropathy (PPE). The intestinal mucosal lesions in the piglets were characterized by the adenomatous proliferation of the crypt epithelium together with growth of small curved bacteria within the enterocytes. The lesions could be seen in the ileum and other portions of the intestine histologically, although no significant thickening of the gut wall could be observed grossly in the present case. The macroscopic findings are extremely important for the diagnosis of PPE, however, this paper shows that the histopathological and/or immunohistochemical findings were also critical to identify the disease.

Proliferative enteropathy: a global enteric disease of pigs caused byLawsonia intracellularis

Proliferative enteropathy (PE; ileitis) is a common intestinal disease affecting susceptible pigs raised under various management systems around the world. Major developments in the understanding of PE and its causative agent,Lawsonia intracellularis, have occurred that have led to advances in the detection of this disease and methods to control and prevent it. Diagnostic tools that have improved overall detection and early onset of PE in pigs include various serological and molecular-based assays. Histological tests such as immunohistochemistry continue to be the gold standard in confirmingLawsonia-specific lesions in pigspost mortem. Despite extreme difficulties in isolatingL. intracellularis, innovations in the cultivation and the development of pure culture challenge models, have opened doors to better characterization of the pathogenesis of PE throughin vivoandin vitro L. intracellularis–host interactions. Advancements in molecular research such as the genetic sequencing of the entireLawsoniagenome have provided ways to identify various immunogens, metabolic pathways and methods for understanding the epidemiology of this organism. The determinations of immunological responsiveness in pigs to virulent and attenuated isolates ofL. intracellularisand identification of various immunogens have led to progress in vaccine development.