Porcine Health Management最新文献

This study evaluated the effects of garlic essential oil (GO) supplementation on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and small intestine health in weaned piglets. Piglets fed 1 g/kg GO exhibited significantly higher final body weight and average daily gain, coupled with reduced feed-to-gain ratio, indicating enhanced growth performance. In contrast, 0.5 g/kg GO showed no effect, while 1.5 g/kg negatively impacted feed intake and final weight. Immunologically, 1 g/kg GO reduced serum TNF-α and MDA levels, improved jejunal SOD activity, and enhanced antioxidant gene expression (Sod1, Gpx1). Morphologically, 1 g/kg GO increased jejunal villus height and villus-to-crypt ratio while upregulating tight-junction proteins (Zo-1, Claudin-1). After LPS challenge, GO reduced diarrhea incidence and decreased serum pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α). GO also mitigated mitochondrial oxidative stress by lowering MDA and ROS levels while enhancing mitochondrial membrane potential in jejunum. However, residual ROS levels remained higher than in the control group. Additionally, GO suppressed LPS-induced NFκB expression while increasing IL-10 abundance, indicating improved gut inflammation in jejunum. Moreover, GO reshaped the LPS-induced microbial dysbiosis, significantly increasing the abundance of Lactobacillus while markedly reducing the abundance of Escherichia coli. Notably, although cefalexin is superior to GO in terms of anti-inflammatory effects, it may have a negative impact on gut microbiota homeostasis. These findings suggest that 1 g/kg GO optimally enhances growth performance, intestinal health, and immunity in weaned piglets while partially alleviating LPS-induced intestinal disruption.

Evaluation of the urogenital tract in slaughtered sows is a valuable diagnostic tool for reproductive disorders in pig breeding farms.Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate macroscopic parameters and their relationship to the reproductive cycle of the urogenital tract in slaughtered sows.The following parameters were assessed in 105 randomly selected sows after slaughter: Weight of the empty bladder and the reproductive system (from the external urethral orifice to the ovary, with and without the broad uterine ligament). Furthermore, length of vagina, cervix and the right and left uterine horn were measured. The status of the reproductive cycle was evaluated by scoring the ovarian activity and the mucosa of the uterus and the urinary bladder was assessed for inflammation (Yes/No).The average weight of the uterus was 1376.0 ± 623.3 g, and the mean weight of the bladder was 245.3 ± 100.8 g. The lengths of the left and right uterine horns were 148.7 ± 55.1 cm and 143.5 ± 55.4 cm, respectively. An inflammation in 43.8% of all uteri was detected and in 30.5% of all bladders. In the linear multiple regression model, a significant influence of the oestrus (p = 0.019), dioestrus (p = < 0.01), and the uterine mucosa (p = < 0.01) on the uterus weight was detected. Furthermore, a significant influence of the dioestrus (p = < 0.01), the uterine mucosa (p = < 0.01), and the bladder mucosa (p = < 0.01) on the bladder weight was detected.The study provides current data on the urogenital tract of slaughtered sows. Considering the reproductive cycle, the weight of the uterus and the urinary bladder can be used as an indicator of inflammatory processes in the genital tract. However, these parameters should be interpreted in the context of macroscopic findings and not as isolated indicators.

Background: Pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) intoxication is a well-documented condition in livestock, resulting from the ingestion of forage and grain contaminated with PA-producing plants. These phytotoxins primarily affect the liver and can lead to severe clinical and pathological disorders, particularly in highly susceptibility species such as pigs. Although sporadic cases of chronic PA toxicosis have been reported in swine, extensive outbreaks affecting large geographic areas have not been previously documented. This report describes a large-scale PA intoxication event affecting multiple intensive fattening pig farms in central Spain.

Case presentation: Between September and December 2023, 21 pig production companies, representing more than 200,000 fattening pigs in Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha autonomous communities (central Spain), reported up to 80% of animals showing prostration, apathy and, occasionally, dark-coloured urine. Mortality during this period ranged 20-40% of affected pigs. At necropsy, animals exhibited variable discoloration of the livers and bleeding gastroesophageal ulcers. Microscopically, hepatic lobes showed an intense interstitial fibrosis and hepatocyte changes including megalocytosis, karyomegaly and canalicular cholestasis. These findings were compatible with chronic toxic hepatopathy. Toxicological analyses ruled out mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides. However, PA contamination was confirmed in a high proportion of compound feed samples associated with contaminated barley with Europine-N-oxide, Heliotrine-N-oxide, and Lasiocarpine-N-oxide. Preventive measures such as changing the source of cereals, reformulating the feed, and using a toxin binder and detoxifying additives allowed resolution of the outbreak.

Conclusions: This report documents a large-scale outbreak of PA intoxication in swine, associated with the use of barley contaminated with PA-producing plants, most likely Heliotropium europaeum, in central Spain. Environmental factors, such as drought followed by humid conditions and reduced herbicide application, likely facilitated PA-containing weed growth and subsequent contamination of cereal crops. This case underscores the growing risk of toxicoses linked to climatic and agronomic factors, emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring and control of feed sources.

Background: Modern sensor technologies and algorithms have the potential to continuously monitor indicators of individual animal welfare, but in growing-finishing pigs the validity of such welfare monitoring remains low for unclear reasons. This study explored how sudden deviations in individual pig feeding behaviour, detected as alerts by a dynamic linear model with Kalman filter, relate to the onset of welfare issues.

Results: Alerts frequencies varied across feeding behaviour components, with higher occurrences for feed intake, feeding duration, feeding rate and night intake (approximately 14.5% of days with an alert) than for feeding frequency and circadian rhythm strength (approximately 7.7% of days with an alert). Limited temporal overlap was observed between feeding components (mean co-occurrence: 18 ± 2%, range 8-47%). Alert prevalence was lower in the first month of the growing-finishing phase for all feeding components except frequency and night intake, which showed opposing patterns. Substantial inter-individual variation in alert prevalence was observed (range: 1.1 - 22.2% alert days). The co-occurrence of alerts and welfare issue onsets, i.e. the sensitivity, was poor and not better than expected by chance (health issues: 2.0 - 48.7%, heat stress: 6.4 - 23.2%). Highest sensitivities were obtained for combinations of coughing, ear tip damage, lameness, rectal prolapse, or tail damage with feed intake, feeding duration or night intake. Sensitivities dropped further when only positive (range: 0.0 - 30.8%) or negative (range: 1.0 - 33.3%) alerts were considered. Sensitivities beyond chance expectations were obtained for feed intake, feeding duration and/or night intake in lame or tail-bitten pigs with specific feeding strategies (range: 4.6 - 66.7%).

Conclusions: These results suggest that sudden deviations in feeding behaviour co-occur poorly with onsets of health issues and heat stress, and that current achievements may be largely based on statistical probabilities. However, mild sensitivities were identified for certain health issues and feeding components, especially for pigs with specific feeding strategies. In addition, the results imply that different types of deviations exist, which differ in suddenness and persistence across the welfare issues' duration. Considering the importance of individual feeding strategies and basal feeding behaviour, stimulating more consistent basal behaviour by improving pigs' housing conditions may reveal new avenues for continuous welfare monitoring.

Background: Cystoisospora suis (C. suis) infects piglets in their first week of life and can subsequently lead to diarrhoea and production losses. The detection of C. suis oocysts relies mostly on the collection of piglet faeces as sampling material and analysis through flotation and autofluorescence microscopy, which involves repeated sampling. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of sponges for environmental sampling for the detection of C. suis via real-time PCR and its suitability for surveillance programs applied on farms.

Results: All farms included in the study were positive for C. suis according to qPCR, with positivity rates ranging from 20 to 100%. The frequency of positive cases was 68% for faecal samples and 67% for samples collected by sponges. The alignment between the different sampling protocols was 100% achieved at the farm level. In the case of the individual pair samples, a difference in 27 samples was observed (10.8%). Considering the faecal sampling strategy as the gold standard, the sensitivity of the sampling protocol with sponges was 91.2%, and the specificity was 84.8%. Compared with the sponge-collected samples, the faecal samples presented slightly greater DNA masses, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.51, indicating a moderate positive relationship between the two sampling methods. An influence towards a higher DNA load with samples with a pasty and semiliquid consistency was observed, mainly in the case of the sponge technique.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that the collection of faecal samples at the litter or farm level and comparisons with environmental samples yield similar detection rates when sampling is combined with qPCR. From that perspective, the use of sponges for the detection of C. suis in organic material from the farrowing crate environment can be considered a good alternative to the more laborious and time-consuming collection of faecal samples.

Background: Enteric virus infections around time of weaning have always been related to pig diseases such as postweaning diarrhea. Little, however, is known about the virus infection pattern (species, timing and viral load) in clinically healthy pigs. Virus infections may help to train and shape the immune system and presumably only lead to clinical disease when uncontrolled. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a relatively new technique that can uncover the composition of the enteric virome. This study describes the dynamics of the enteric virome in clinically healthy pigs using NGS and qPCR until 10 weeks of age.

Methods: Seven farms were selected based on the following criteria: diarrhea after weaning was visible in less than 5% of the pens, piglets reached 25 kg of body weight before 10 weeks of age and no antimicrobial batch treatment had been used on the farm for the last six months. Rectal swabs were taken in five different age groups: 2, 3.5, 5, 7 and 10 weeks of age, 10 piglets per age group, in a cross-sectional setup. Two NGS platforms were used to detect enteric viruses. Eleven virus-specific qPCRs were used to corroborate the results of the NGS analyses.

Results: Rotavirus A, Porcine Kobuvirus, Enterovirus G and Porcine Astrovirus 3 and 4 were first detected at two weeks of age, followed by detection of Porcine Astrovirus 5 at 3.5 weeks of age, just before weaning. One week after weaning, at 5 weeks of age, Porcine Astrovirus 3 was undetectable, but now Porcine Astrovirus 1 and 2 had successively made their entry. Although Rotavirus B & C, Porcine Sapelovirus and Porcine Sapovirus were already detected just before weaning, the amount of virus peaked one week after weaning. Rotavirus H was first detected one week after weaning and peaked at 7 weeks of age. Many viruses were cleared by the age of 10 weeks.

Conclusions: The timing and magnitude of subclinical enteric virus infections across farms were remarkably similar. Our study offers insight into the dynamics of enteric virome development in healthy pigs and provides essential context to NGS-based diagnostics.