Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Swine erysipelas is a bacterial disease of pigs that is very, very common! Up to 50% of pig farms are considered to be colonized with the bacteria.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
The primary animal species that gets this is pigs, but interestingly enough, humans can get it too! The usual pigs that get this disease are pregnant sows and young pigs.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Erysipelas is caused by ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฑ ๐ซ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐๐, a bacteria that can be found around the world. Typically it is found in decaying animal material or in the soil.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐?
Pigs get the bacteria from other pigs primarily. The bacteria can survive in the tonsils and intestines of pigs without causing any clinical signs, making this pigs an ๐๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ, that can cause spread of disease to other animals in their bodily secretions. When pigs ingest the organism, have contaminated wounds or are bitten by infected flies, then the affected pig can acquire the disease.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Erysipelas has two different forms: ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ (fast acting) and ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ (long-term disease).
In acute disease, pigs typically develop a ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ (bacteria in the blood stream) where the bacteria is distributed throughout the body to multiple different tissues. Typically this form occurs in younger pigs. These pigs will frequently die unexpectedly due to ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐๐ค, which is when the bacteria releases toxins that cause ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (blood vessels to expand), leading to a sudden decrease in blood pressure and death. These pigs may show fever, poor appetite and lethargy before death, and may have skin lesions from the bacteria similar to those seen in chronic disease.
In chronic disease, pigs develop skin ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ (death of tissue), ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ (bacterial infection within the heart) and ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ (inflammation in multiple joints). These outcomes are all due to bacteria in the blood as well, however in these cases the animal was able to manage the bacterial load and not succumb to septic shock. In these pigs, they may have lameness issues due to their arthritis, may have heart issues due to the cardiac infection, and will often not grow at the same rate as their peers.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Erysipelas is usually diagnosed based on the clinical signs and necropsy lesions. The most ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ (specifically indicates a particular disease) lesion in swine erysipelas is ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐. This lesion is caused by necrosis of specific regions of skin because of bacterial damage to the blood vessel. Each vessel supplies a diamond-shaped area of skin, giving the appearance of a pig covered with diamond red or black spots!
At necropsy, the veterinarian or pathologist may see ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ (pinpoint spots of hemorrhage from vessel damage) over most organs, large proliferative masses of bacteria on the inner surface of the heart in endocarditis, or proliferative masses in the joints in polyarthritis. Based on clinical or necropsy suspicion, the veterinarian may order bacterial culture or PCR to detect the bacteria and confirm the diagnosis.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is very sensitive to penicillin, so that is the typical antibiotic used for treating these animals. NSAIDs may be used to help control fever in acutely affected animals as well. In animals with chronic infection, treatment is very difficult and often not rewarding, so these animals are usually euthanized unfortunately.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-2) Skin lesions of diamond skin disease, caused by Erysipelothrix. Funky!
3) Pinpoint petechiae over the kidneys due to septicemia from Erysipelas.
4) Endocarditis lesions on the heart valves from bacterial accumulation.
5) Proliferative tissue surrounding the joint from chronic erysipelas.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 1. Sixth Edition.
Forde, T. Swine Erysipelas. Merck Veterinary Manual 2020.
Photos 1-5 courtesy of Noahโs Arkive.
