LEPTOSPIROSIS

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Causative Agent(s)

Leptospirosis of swine is a disease caused by L. icterohaemorrhagiae and L. pomona.

They are small, gram-negative motile, aerobic spirochetes, which are morphologically similar often hooked at one or both ends, however, they are antigenically different.

Clinical Presentation and Epidemiology

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease affecting people who are in contact with the urine of an infected pig.

It occurs worldwide as outbreaks and it is a major cause of reproductive loss in pigs all over the world.

Some infections are subclinical.

Clinical infection is seen mostly in piglets and pregnant females where two forms of the disease exist.

Acute Leptospirosis

The clinical signs observed are fever anorexia listlessness usually seen in few animals. Haemoglobinuria and jaundice are usually seen in piglets infected with L. icterohaemorrhagiae. Chronic Leptospirosis

This is seen in pregnant females.

The signs observed are the birth of weak piglets, abortions, stillbirths, this is noticed more with L. pomona infection.

Diagnostic Considerations

Urine from infected animals that are alive and kidneys from dead animals are collected for bacterial isolation.

Isolation of this organism is difficult. Leptospira could be present in the genital tract, kidney, or urine, in the absence of generalized infection also failure to identify Leptospira organisms in the urine of an infected pig does not mean there is absence of disease.

Diagnosis of Leptospira species is achieved using Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). However, it has limitations in the diagnosis of chronic infection in individual pigs.

A competitive ELISA can be used in these cases. Immunochemical tests such as immunofluorescence, immunoperoxidase, immunogold) have also been used to demonstrate the presence of leptospirosis.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used; however, it also detects organisms that are not alive.

Management and Treatment

Streptomycin, 5-10 mg/kg b.w., q24h 3-5 days. Oxytetracycline LA 20 mg/kg b.w., single dose. Erythromycin, 5-20 mg/kg b.w.q24h 3-5 days.

Vaccination in endemic area is advised because antimicrobial use is not enough to control the disease.

Strict biosecurity measures are advised especially keeping away rodents.