Diagnóstico de enteropatógenos em leitões de até sete dias de idade, na região do Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba

Abstract

Sixty 1 to 7-day-old piglets, being 30 diarrheic and 30 non-diarrheic, from 15 different swine farms located at Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba were selected, euthanized and necropsied. Segments of jejunum, ileum, colon, cecum, intestinal content and feces were collected from these piglets for further testing. The following were the studied enteropathogens: Escherichia coli enterotoxigenic (ETEC), Clostridium perfringens type A and type C, Clostridium difficile, Rotavirus and Isospora suis. Isolation and typing, using Multiplex PCR, were used for E. coli and C. perfringens detection. A commercial ELISA kit was used for detecting C. difficile. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was performed for Rotavirus detection. The parasitological flotation test was utilized for I. suis search. Among diarrheic piglets, 23.3% were positive for C. difficile, 33% positive for C. perfringens type A 2, 14.3% positive for Rotavirus and 10% for ETEC. Non-diarrheic piglets (controls) were 10% positive for C. difficile, 53.3% for C. perfringens type A 2, 0% for Rotavirus, 3.3% for ETEC and 3.8% for I. suis. No C. perfringens type C was detected in any animal. Upon histology, 30% of diarrheic piglets had different intensities of enteritis and 20% colitis. Non-diarrheic animals had 33.4% enteritis and 23.3% colitis, also varying in severity. The agents C. perfringens type A and C. difficile were the most frequent diagnosed enteropathogens.