Sustainability Issue #2 April 2010

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How did the research turn out? What were the findings? Researchers themselves report briefly on the research they have undertaken with funding support from the Formas Research Council.

Editor: Margaretha Nordahl

Bad news for piglets

Clinical diseases and early inflammatory response in E. coli infections in pigs
Ulf Magnusson (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from SLU.
Email: ulf.magnusson@kv.slu.se

Mortality in pig production is relatively high in Sweden, and most piglets die during the first week of their lives. One important cause is insufficient lactation which may result in undernourishment and increased susceptibility to infections. Weak and sick piglets are less mobile and have difficulty in getting out of the way when the sow lies down or turns, which increases the risk of their being crushed. Terminated or reduced lactation after parturition may be a considerable problem in some herds. The most common cause is considered to be mastitis due to E. coli bacteria in the sow's environment.

Previous Swedish research has shown that quite a large proportion of sows have subclinical infections, with coliform bacteria in the mammary glands. Previous studies have shown that a large proportion of sows have subclinical infections without major differences being demonstrated between sows that develop the disease and those that remain healthy. The aim of this project was therefore to investigate whether the inflammatory response in sows that develop coliform mastities at parturition is different from that in the sows which remain healthy.

The results of the project demonstrate a strong relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines (small soluble proteins that can be liberated from different types of cells in tissues) and clinical diseases. This should be taken into consideration when new therapeutic strategies and preventive measures such as breeding programmes are developed. The results are now the subject of further work to investigate whether the subclinical or mild disease in sows at parturition has significance for the growth and survival of piglets.

Responsible for this page: Birgitta Bruzelius

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Sustainability April 2010

Focus presentation

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The Interview

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In brief

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Results from research

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