The Disease

Clinical signs and forms of ileitis

The symptoms of ileitis in pigs are diverse, and include hemorrhagic or acute, chronic and subclinical.
Learn more about all its clinical presentations.

The forms of presentation of ileitis in pigs are haemorrhagic or acute, chronic and subclinical.

ACUTE FORM

The acute form affects young adults from four to 12 months of age, usually replacement gilts or hogs close to market age. It is characterized by an acute haemorrhagic syndrome with profuse bloody diarrhoea or sudden death (McOrist & Gebhart, 2012). Black tarry faeces are often seen at the beginning of the clinical presentation, or when the animal is recovering after being affected by a mild case.

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L. intracellularis is a gram-negative rod with a sigmoid or curved shape and with a single long flagellum.

History and Etiology of ileitis

Not much is known about the epidemiology of L. Intracellularis.

Epidemiology of ileitis

L. Intracellularis has specific infectious mechanisms, and generally appears in the growing and finishing stages.

Pathogenesis of L. Intracellularis

Diagnosing ileitis involves considering four important factors

Diagnosis of ileitis

Ileitis outbreaks must be treated immediately to reduce losses

Treatment of ileitis

The best preventative option for ileitis depends on the specific farm

Prevention of ileitis

The indications are that nearly all pig populations are susceptible to Lawsonia Intracellularis

Prevalence of ileitis

The ban on antimicrobial growth promoters in the EU affected the kinetics of the infection in different pig diseases

Potential impact of the reduction of antibiotics

Economic impact results mostly from productivity losses caused by the disease

Economic losses related to ileitis