Occurrence of porcine prolifertive enteropathy in a Hungarian pig herd

Porcine proliferative enteropathy can manifest in either of four forms: por cine intestinal adenomatosis, necrotic enteritis, regional ileltis or proli ferative hemorrhagic enteropathy. The infectious agent of this worldwide oc curring disease was identified for the first time in Hungary in 1998 by BIK SI et at who detected the presence of Lawsonia intracellularis bacteria wit h PCR technique in several swine herds. In this paper the authors report the diagnosis of proliferative haemorrhagi c enteropathy in Hungary. Sporadic occurrences of tarry diarrhoea were detected among finishing pigs beetwen 80-100 kg in weight on a pig farm with 700 sows. At necropsy, there was marked thickening of the heal wall. The serosal surf ace of this section of intestine showed a cerebriform or gyrate pattern (Fi gure 1.). The mucosa was thrown into deep longitudinal and transverse folds . The lumen of the ileum contained fluid blood and blood clots. Black tarry feces was present in the colon (Figure 2.). Histologically, the mucosa showed proliferative inflammation and adenomatou s changes of the mucosal glands (Figures 3-4.). Glands became elongated, di lated, branching, and, in some places, atrophic. Villi had undergone progre ssive atrophy. Masses of silver-stained, curved, rod-like bacteria were in the cytoplasm of intestinal glands (Figure 6.). The organisms stained red w ith the modified Ziehl-Neelsen method. Ultrastructurally, bacteria were found free in the apical cytoplasm of the enterocytes (Figure 7.). The outer wall of the bacteria was a wavy trilamin ar membrane. Their measure was 1,25-1,75 mm in length and 0,25-0,43 mm in w idth. On the basis of their morphological and staining features, these bact eria were proved to be Lawsonia intracellularis (Figure 8). The presence of Lawsonia intracellularis has been confirmed with PCR method as well (Figur e 3.).