Oedema Disease

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Also known as: Edema Disease

Introduction

Edema disease is a enterotoxemia of weaned piglets caused by a serotypes of Escherichia coli. It is a acute pathology which clinical signs are edema in some regions of the animal, nervous disorders and sudden deaths.

Extremadura, Spain
Extremadura, Spain

* Catarrhal gastritis is an important characterisitic of this condition

  • Oedema disease is a sporadic condition that can become important on some farms.

Clinical

  • Generally occurs in young pigs, though sometimes in older pigs
    • 7-10 days after major change in diet e.g. weaning.
  • Signs include
    • No diarrhoea
    • Puffy eyelids
    • High-pitched voice (oedema of larynx)
    • Sitting on haunched
    • "Star-gazing" due to cerebral oedema (hallucinations?).
  • Animals usually die.
  • Disease develops very quickly so pigs do not have time to go off food.

Pathogenesis

  • Oedema disease is an enterotoxaemia associated with infection by enterotoxigenic E.coli.
  • Verotoxin/ shiga toxin- producing E. coli proliferate in the small intestine
    • Especially O138, O139, and O141.
    • Organisms remain in the gut (are not invasive).
  • Labile shiga-like toxin II is absorbed into body, producing effects everywhere.
  • Blood vessel walls are damaged and become very leaky, producing oedema everywhere.
    • Histological blood vessel changes are subtle.
    • Fibrinoid degeneration of media in small arteries.

Pathology

  • An important characteristic of oedema disease is the occurrence of catarrhal gastritis and marked oedema in the stomach mucosa and wall.
  • Also oedema of various organs, particularly between coils of spiral colon.

Diagnosis

  • Clinical signs are characteristic.
  • Also by culture and typing of E. coli from gut


      • Acute, frequently fatal enterotoxaemia of weaned pigs
      • Associated with particular haemolytic serotypes of E. coli
      • Verotoxin (Shiga toxin II e) released in the small intestine and carried in the bloodstream
      • Haemolysin production
      • Subcutaneous and subserosal oedema
      • Peracute disease affecting particulary healthy piglets
      • Mortality rate 30%-90%
      • Antimicrobial treatment effective if administered in time