Doenças de suínos no nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Brazil is the fourth largest world producer and exporter of pork, this has an economic importance because it is the second most consumed animal protein source in the world. In the creation of pigs in the Northeast region there is a predominance of small and medium producers, extensive and semi-extensive breeding, often aimed at family subsistence, with low technological level and little technical instruction. In this way, the creation of pigs in this region acquires a different relevance from the other regions of the country. In this, there is a great social importance, since few heads are created per property, where these animals are destined for local commercialization or own consumption by the members of the rural family, which contributes to the family income and the reduction of the rural exodus. Due to the precariousness in health, several diseases arise, however, few studies have been carried out with diagnostic purposes in the creation of swine in the Northeastern. For this reason, this study aims to describe three outbreaks of Glässer disease in the State of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. This is an important infectious swine disease caused by the bacterium Haemophilus parasuis. Although well recognized in most regions of Brazil, outbreaks of Glässer disease have not been described in the Northeastern region. Three regions of the State of Pernambuco were visited in order to identify histories of high mortality in piglets in the growing and finishing phase. Nine pigs were necropsied and fragments of the nervous system, organs of the abdominal and thoracic cavities were collected for histopathological analysis. In addition, lung and brain fragments were used for DNA extraction and molecular testing using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The main clinical signs consisted of dry cough, apathy, fever, anorexia, paresis, muscle tremors, motor incoordination and seizures leading to high mortality rates. The most severe macroscopic lesions consisted of petechiae and ecchymosis on the skin of the face, abdomen, anterior and posterior limbs, in addition to hydropericardium, hemopericardium, fibrinous pericarditis and pleuropneumonia. Microscopically, pericarditis, epicarditis and subepicardial myocarditis, followed by moderate to severe multifocal pleuropneumonia, fibrinosupurative and necrotizing lesions were the most frequent lesions observed. Real-time PCR amplified the H. parasuis infB gene in all samples analyzed, confirming the presence of this etiologic agent.