JMM Profile: Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae: a major cause of lung disease in pigs but difficult to control and eradicate

The Gram-negative bacterium Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of pleuropneumonia in pigs, its only known natural host. Typical symptoms of peracute disease include fever, apathy and anorexia, and time from infection to death may only be 6 h. Severe lung lesions result from presence of one or two of the ApxI-III toxins. Control is through good husbandry practice, vaccines and antibiotic use. Culture and presence of the species-specific apxIV gene by PCR confirms diagnosis, and identification of serovar, of which 19 are known, informs on appropriate vaccine use and epidemiology.