Motor disturbances caused by neural lesions in piglets

The authors report a disease in large number occurring for long period in t wo large scale pig holdings (mark "V" and "K") - for two years in one of th e herds - based on the damage of peripheral nerves. In both herds diseases started in one-two weeks of age and did not recover. Course of the clinical signs and disease was similar in the two herds. Abnormal position of one o r both hind limbs, step on the dorsal surface of flexed hoof (Figure 1) or "rabbit-like" standing because of firm flexion of tarsal joints (Figure 2) were characteristic. Later In the hind limbs of these animals purulent-supp urating inflamation developed as a result of skin lesions and secondary bac terial infection and sometimes the animal lost its limb because of the seve re lesion. Pathological and histopathological lesions, however, were different in the two herds. In the herd "V" in the ischiadic nerve primary damage of nerve f ibres, comparing to the control (Figure 3 and 4), vacuolar degeneration of the myelin sheath and demyelinisation (Figure 5, G and 7) and necrosis of t he axon (Figure 8 and 3) developed. In the herd "K" sere-sanguineous infilt ration of tile peri- and epineurium (Figure 10 and 11) and perineuritis (Fi gure 12) were in the background of clinical signs following intramuscular t reatment. In herd "V" etiology was not cleared up and in herd "K" following the chang e of site of day-old intramuscular treatment no new case occurred.