Abstract
BACKGROUND: Neonatal diarrhoea represents a major disease problem in the early stages of animal production, increasing significantly pre-weaning mortality and piglets weaned below the target weight. Enteric diseases in newborn piglets are often of endemic presentation, but may also occur as outbreaks with high morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of different pathogens involved in cases of recurrent neonatal diarrhoea in Spain. RESULTS: A total of 327 litters from 109 sow farms located in Spain with neonatal recurrent diarrhoea were sampled to establish a differential diagnosis against the main enteric pathogens in piglets. In total, 105 out of 109 (96.3%) case submissions were positive to one of the examined enteric organisms considered potentially pathogenic (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens types A and C, Transmissible gastroenteritis virus [TGEV], Porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus [PEDV] or Rotavirus A [RVA]). Fifty-eight out of 109 (53.2%) submissions were positive for only one of these pathogens, 47 out of 109 (43.1%) were positive for more than one pathogen and, finally, 4 out of 109 (3.7%) were negative for all these agents. Escherichia coli strains were isolated from all submissions tested, but only 11 of them were classified into defined pathotypes. Clostridium perfringens type A was detected in 98 submissions (89.9%) and no C. perfringens type C was found. Regarding viruses, 47 (43.1%) submissions were positive for RVA, 4 (3.7%) for PEDV and none of them for TGEV. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, C. perfringens type A, E. coli and RVA were the main pathogens found in faeces of neonatal diarrheic piglets in Spain.