Salmonellosis
Porcine salmonellosis
Salmonellosis is one of the most significant infectious diseases of pigs. It is clinically characterized by one of three major syndromes: a peracute septicemia, an acute enteritis or a chronic enteritis. One form of the disease is more prevalent in any particular outbreak. The septicemic syndrome is usually seen in young animals and is generally caused by Salmonella cholerae suis. The mortality rate may reach 100 %, with death frequently occurring within a few days. Intercurrent diseases, particularly hog cholera and the nutritional stress caused by a sudden change in diet may predispose to infection with Salmonella organisms such as Salmonella typhimurium. Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection of the intestines caused by a group of bacteria called Salmonella. The bacteria are shed in the stool of infected animals and humans. Infection can happen when a person eats food or drinks water or milk that has been contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Infection with Salmonella can cause serious disease especially in children younger than 5 years of age and persons with weakened immune systems.
Salmonella infection is spread through the fecal-oral route, through contaminated food and water, and through direct and indirect contact with infected animals and their environments. Animals commonly infected with Salmonella include reptiles (such as snakes, lizards, and turtles), chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and rodents. Pets are a common source of infection. Infected children and persons with poor hygiene can contaminate the household environment, leading to household transmission. Persons with salmonellosis can remain infectious even after symptoms resolve and spread infection for several days to weeks and less commonly, for months or years. Salmonella outbreaks have been associated with a variety of commercially distributed food products, including produce, nuts, eggs, and poultry.
There have been salmonella outbreaks in peanut butter, prepackaged salads, alfalfa sprouts and cucumbers in the recent years. Any of those foods could've easily been fed to our beloved pet pigs. Raw food, in general, can be a carrier of salmonella or other foodborne illnesses. When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak. The following link is from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website regarding salmonella outbreaks in the US.
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks.html
Transmission: Introduction of an infected carrier pig into the herd. Possible infection spread by flies and through farm activities. Healthy pigs may be carriers of Salmonella organisms, but may not show symptoms immediately.
Clinical findings :
Septicemic syndrome
Postmortem findings :
Septicemic syndrome
Differential diagnosis : Swine erysipelas, hog cholera, swine fever (Other possibilities of disease that must be excluded in order to get a positive diagnosis)
Sources:
http://www.fao.org
Salmonellosis is one of the most significant infectious diseases of pigs. It is clinically characterized by one of three major syndromes: a peracute septicemia, an acute enteritis or a chronic enteritis. One form of the disease is more prevalent in any particular outbreak. The septicemic syndrome is usually seen in young animals and is generally caused by Salmonella cholerae suis. The mortality rate may reach 100 %, with death frequently occurring within a few days. Intercurrent diseases, particularly hog cholera and the nutritional stress caused by a sudden change in diet may predispose to infection with Salmonella organisms such as Salmonella typhimurium. Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection of the intestines caused by a group of bacteria called Salmonella. The bacteria are shed in the stool of infected animals and humans. Infection can happen when a person eats food or drinks water or milk that has been contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Infection with Salmonella can cause serious disease especially in children younger than 5 years of age and persons with weakened immune systems.
Salmonella infection is spread through the fecal-oral route, through contaminated food and water, and through direct and indirect contact with infected animals and their environments. Animals commonly infected with Salmonella include reptiles (such as snakes, lizards, and turtles), chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and rodents. Pets are a common source of infection. Infected children and persons with poor hygiene can contaminate the household environment, leading to household transmission. Persons with salmonellosis can remain infectious even after symptoms resolve and spread infection for several days to weeks and less commonly, for months or years. Salmonella outbreaks have been associated with a variety of commercially distributed food products, including produce, nuts, eggs, and poultry.
There have been salmonella outbreaks in peanut butter, prepackaged salads, alfalfa sprouts and cucumbers in the recent years. Any of those foods could've easily been fed to our beloved pet pigs. Raw food, in general, can be a carrier of salmonella or other foodborne illnesses. When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak. The following link is from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website regarding salmonella outbreaks in the US.
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks.html
Transmission: Introduction of an infected carrier pig into the herd. Possible infection spread by flies and through farm activities. Healthy pigs may be carriers of Salmonella organisms, but may not show symptoms immediately.
Clinical findings :
Septicemic syndrome
- High fever
- Dark red to purple discoloration of skin especially on the ears and abdomen
- Nervous signs manifested by incoordination of gait, tremor, paralysis, convulsions, recumbency and death.
- Enteritis
- High fever lasting 12 – 24 hours
- Severe watery diarrhea and dehydration
- Pneumonia
- Emaciation and death
- A sequel to enteric salmonellosis may be rectal stricture
- Abdominal dilatation and frothy to pasty feces in cases of rectal stricture
Postmortem findings :
Septicemic syndrome
- Discoloration of the skin
- Enlarged and engorged lymph glands
- Hemorrhages, petechiae and ecchymosis of the epiglottis, stomach, intestine and bladder
- Enlarged and pulpy spleen
- Necrotic enteritis in the ileum and large intestine with S. typhimurium infection
- Congestion and hepatization of lungs
- Marked skin hemorrhage
- Prominent petechial hemorrhage in the kidneys
- Areas of necrosis in the wall of the cecum and colon
- Enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes
- Chronic pneumonia
- Abdominal dilatation and low grade peritonitis in cases of rectal stricture
Differential diagnosis : Swine erysipelas, hog cholera, swine fever (Other possibilities of disease that must be excluded in order to get a positive diagnosis)
Sources:
http://www.fao.org