Pathological anatomy study of a hemorrahagic disease in four (4) pigs

RESUMEN

Hay muchas enfermedades con hemorragias difusas que ocurren en cerdos alrededor del mundo. Estas pueden ser de origen viral como el Cólera Porcino (C P) conocido como Fiebre Porcina Clásica ( F P C) o Peste Porcina Clásica (P P C), producido por un Pestivirus (ARN) del grupo Togavirus, de la familia Flaviviridae; o también la Peste Porcina Africana (P P A) producida por un Iridovirus y la cual de acuerdo a la literatura no ha sido diagnosticada en Venezuela. Entre las de origen bacteriano están la Salmonelosis y Erisipelosis porcina, siendo ésta última poco frecuente en Venezuela. Los cambios hemorrágicos observados en los cerdos bajo estudio son muy similares a aquellos que ocurren en la F P C caracterizada ésta, por afectar varios órganos vitales e induciendo una alta tasa de mortalidad. La F C P cursa en forma aguda con hemorragias generalizadas, alta morbilidad y mortalidad o en forma crónica con signos clínicos y lesiones mínimas o ausentes. El agente etiológico de F P C tiene un efecto letal en animales infectados de forma natural y en animales postvacunados induce lesiones letales, que aunque más suaves producen una alta mortalidad, debido a factores de la vacuna o al estatus inmunológico del cerdo...

ABSTRACT

Many diseases occur in pigs causing widespread hemorrhages around the world. Among them are viral or bacterial such as, Classical Swine Fever (C S F) which is produced by a Pestivirus (RNA), Togavirus group of the Flaviviridae family, besides African Swine Fever (ASF) produced by an Iridovirus and which has not been diagnosed in Venezuela, according to the literature. Among bacterial diseases are Salmonellosis and Erysipellosis, being the latter uncommon in Venezuela. In this paper, the morphological aspects of a hemorrhagic disease in four pigs are described. The reported lesions are not too dissimilar to those occurring in cases of C S F, which is characterized by affecting many vital organs, producing death in many pigs. C S F often follows an acute course characterized by generalized hemorrhages, with high morbidity and mortality, but it may be chronic, in that case clinical signs and lesions are often minimal or absent. The disease in naturally infected pigs produces lethal lesions causing death in many unvaccinated animals as well as in vaccinated pigs. The gross and microscopic changes of a hemorrhagic systemic disease in four (4) cases under study are reported from two naturally infected unvaccinated pigs and two postvaccinated animals against C S F. Pathologic changes are correlated with clinical signs and the most relevant morphological gross changes and histopathology are reported from naturally infected unvaccinated and postvaccinated pigs. The hemorrhagic lesions reported in vital organs highly resemble and are very similar to those morphologic changes occurring in C S F, although, other hemorrhagic viral or bacterial diseases induced a more severe and different pattern in lesions though being hemorrhagic. Despite lab tests (Elisa) were not determined in this work, they must be ruled out to show the etiological agent of C S F in spite of the typical and very similar morphological changes reported in this paper.