The disease
Diagnosis of ileitis
Diagnosis of ileitis
Porcine proliferative enteropathy (PPE), also known as ileitis, is an infectious enteric disease caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis. The forms of presentation of the disease in pigs are haemorrhagic or acute, chronic and subclinical. As the most prevalent and economically important enteric disease in growing finishing animals, it deserves frequent updating regarding its general aspects and updates.
“Ileitis is an example of a disease that you must learn how to live with”.
As a result, the intention of this series of articles about the disease is to remind the reader about the relevance of its adequate understanding and, consequently, efficient control for improving herd performance.
The Disease
L. intracellularis is a gram-negative rod with a sigmoid or curved shape and with a single long flagellum.
L. Intracellularis has specific infectious mechanisms, and generally appears in the growing and finishing stages.
The signs of ileitis in pigs are diverse, and include hemorrhagic or acute, chronic and subclinical.
The indications are that nearly all pig populations are susceptible to Lawsonia Intracellularis
The ban on antimicrobial growth promoters in the EU affected the kinetics of the infection in different pig diseases
Economic impact results mostly from productivity losses caused by the disease
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