The disease is caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. It is widespread in pig populations and endemic in most herds throughout the world.
Porcine enzootic pneumonic (PEP) usually manifests itself on pigs over 6 weeks of age, transmission is horizontal through the air with a range of 2-3 km and vertical from sows. Other infected pigs with no symptoms are a source of infection for piglets.
A characteristic of PEP is that the infected rate is very high but the mortality rate is low (about 10%). However, it still causes extensive damage because:
- Infected pigs have a slow growth rate and lose uniformity, have poor feed efficiency, and low meat quality.
- M. hyopneumoniae attacks the upper respiratory tract of pigs which damages the villi, lowers the self-cleaning ability of the respiratory system and paves the way for other bacteria, viruses to attack. Furthermore, M. hyopenumoniae can lower the immune system, which makes pigs vulnerable to other respiratory diseases such as pasteurellosis, Glasser, PPRS, swine flu, porcine pleuropneumonia…
Symptoms :
The severity of the symptoms depends on if pigs have other infections and their living condition: Pigs do not have pyrexia, retain normal appetite but have rough fur, poor feed efficiency. They usually cough in a prolonged time, especially in the evening or early morning, after running. Pigs cough while sitting on their hind legs.
* When pigs have other injections:
The symptoms are more severe: high fever, lose appetite, nasal discharges, heavy coughing and breathing, fatigue…
Post-mortem :
Large inflammation areas on the lungs, there is a clear boundary between these areas and normal ones. Over time the inflammation areas will become hard, especially at the cranial lobe and cardiac lobe
Treatment :
* Antibiotics: use the following
- Mix in feed or dissolve in water: Doxyt or Tylofos.
- Injections (choose one):
+ Tulavitryl: 1ml/40kg bw, one dose only.
+ Vimetryl 1ml/15-20kg bw, one dose a day for 3-5 days.
+ Spectylo: 1ml/10kg bw, one dose a day for 3-5 days.
+ Norflox 10%: 1ml/10-15kg bw, one dose a day for 3-5 days.
+ Vimelinspec: 1ml/10kg bw, one dose a day for 3-5 days.
+ Vimefloro FDP: 1ml/5-10kg bw, one dose a day for 3-5 days.
+ Vimespiro FSP: 1ml/5-10kg bw, one dose a day for 3-5 days.
* Suportive treatment:
- Anti-inflammatory :
+ Ketovet 1ml/ 16kg bw or Diclofen 1ml/10kg bw.
+Vimeliptyl : 1ml/15 - 20kg bw.
+ Bromhexin : 1ml/10 - 15kg bw/day for 3-5 days or mix in feed Mucostop 1g/7-10kg bw.
- Improve immunity :
+ Vime C 1000 2,5 - 5ml/pigs/days plus
+ ADE Bcomplex 1ml/10kg bw/day.
+ Furovet : 1ml/ 20kg bw/day for 2-3 days.
Prevention :
- Practice good environment control: maintain a comfortable temperature and average farming density.
- Apply “all in – all out” method to have the best way of prevention. Make sure that two batches of pigs differs in no more than 3 weeks old.
- New pigs must be isolated for a month before joining the herd.
- Periodically, use disinfectant in and around the pens 1-2 times/week:
+ Vimekon (10g/ 2 litters of water), Vime - Iodine (15ml/4 litters of water): can be sprayed on in-use pens, equipment, humans.
+ Vime - Protex (10g/ 2 litters of water), Protectol (10g/ 2,5 litters of water): spray on empty pens or around them.
- To keep the herds sufficient of nutrients and high immunity, supply them with nutritious products like Multivitamin, B.Complex C, Vimekat plus, Vitamin ADE, Vime C 1000.
- Use anti-parasite products when pig at 40 days old: Albendazole 10% (1ml/20kg bw) or Fenben 10% 1ml/ 40kg bw/day for 2 days.
- Vaccinate for gilts and piglets at 1 and 2 week-old (Respisure).
Notes :
To avoid antibiotics resistance:
1/. Use antibiotics according to course, do not stop using prematurely.
2/. Use different antibiotics for each infection case
3/. Do not use the same antibiotics for treatment and prevention.
