Necrotizing Infectious Enteritis in Piglets, Caused by Clostridium Perfringens Type C

Abstract

Necrotizing enteritis in piglets caused by Clostridium perfringens type C has been diagnosed in 32 Danish herds of swine (status as at March 1, 1967), the geographical location of which (Fig. 1) shows the enzootic character of the disease. The disease occurs both in small and large herds, and is characterized by a high mortality during the first week of life (Fig. 5). The mortality does not seem to be influenced either by the size of litter (Fig. 4) or by the state of health of the sows (Table 1).

After an incubation period varying from a few hours to a few days, the piglets develop symptoms of enteritis or gastro-enteritis with general malaise and anorexia. The disease, the course of which varies from about 12 hrs. to a few days, ends in coma and death. The body temperature usually remains normal, but may be subnormal or subfebrile.

The disease is accompained by hypoglycaemia and increased blood urea (Fig. 7). In peracute cases there is leukopenia, with some shift to the left of the heterophilic granulocytes. There is also leukopenia in subacute cases, but as regards the heterophils this is partly offset by a marked increase in the number of juvenile heterophils. Eosinopenia is another characteristic haematological finding (Table 3).

In the differential diagnosis; special attention should, under Danish conditions, be paid to E. coli infections in new-born piglets.