NAVLE® Question of the day

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August 15, 2024

NAVLE

An outbreak of diarrheal disease of piglets has occurred which affected the healthiest animals in the herd, one to two weeks after weaning.

Some affected piglets had no signs except peracute death.

Other affected piglets exhibit diarrhea, ataxia, paralysis, and recumbency.

What condition is at the top of the differential diagnosis list?

A - Porcine proliferative enteritis

B - Edema disease

C - Clostridium perfringens type C enteritis

D - Epidemic transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE)

E - Streptococcus suis

Sorry. You chose "D - Epidemic transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE)" but the correct answer is "B - Edema disease"

Edema disease is caused by shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

Look for severe acute illness ranging from peracute death with no signs to CNS involvement with ataxia, paralysis, and recumbency in healthiest pigs one to two weeks after weaning.

Streptococcus suis could cause sudden death but would not cause diarrhea and would see polyserositis on necropsy.

Clostridium perfringens type C enteritis, also called enterotoxemia in other animals, is characterized by a HEMORRHAGIC diarrhea in one- to three-day-old piglets.

Porcine proliferative enteritis is principally a diarrheal disease of growing finishing (40- to 80-lb) pigs and young breeding pigs.

Epidemic transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) in non-immune pig herds characterized by HIGH MORBIDITY and HIGH MORTALITY in piglets less than one week old.