Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ (PPE) is a pretty descriptive name! It affects pigs, causes proliferation of cells, and it is an ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ, a disease affecting the intestines.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
We most commonly see this disease in pigs after weaning!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
PPE is caused by ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ, a bacteria that lives within the ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐๐ฌ (cells lining the intestine). Once the bacteria reaches the intestine, it invades these cells and ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ (produces more bacteria). This causes the infected cells to become very large in size. Some cells may also begin to divide, increasing the cell population. This is what leads to proliferation!
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
This proliferating intestine isnโt able to do its job properly, so these pigs often present with ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ก๐๐. In some cases, the disease may progress to ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ, or inflammation of the intestine with ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ (dead cells). These pigs may experience chronic weight loss, due to their intestine not processing feed properly.
The disease can also progress to a ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ก๐๐ ๐ข๐ form, characterized by large amounts of blood loss into the intestine. In these cases, the pigs become very pale, ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ (loss of red blood cells) and may die suddenly.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Because there are very few conditions that cause proliferation of the intestine, the ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ (brain-like) thickening of the intestine is considered practically ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ (nothing else it could be) for PPE. However, if the veterinarian wants to confirm the disease, ๐๐๐ can be used to identify the bacteriaโs DNA, or ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ (looking at the tissue under a microscope) can be used to see the bacteria directly.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐? ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
Lawsonia is susceptible to antibiotics, which can help reduce the severity of the disease and prevent it from progressing to its other forms. There are also vaccines available that can help prevent the disease!
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-2) Examples of cerebriform thickening of the intestine next to a normal section!
3-4) Examples of the necrotic form of PPE, showing accumulations of dead cells within the intestine. These are called ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ.
5) An example of the hemorrhagic form of disease.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 2. Sixth Edition.
Burrough ER. Porcine Proliferative Enteropathy. Merck Veterinary Manual 2021.
Photos 1-5 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors Render, Panciera, Mosier, Crowell, Harrington licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
