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. 2021 Sep;33(5):993-996.
doi: 10.1177/10406387211025507. Epub 2021 Jul 8.

A Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis outbreak in weaned piglets in Serbia: clinical signs, pathologic changes, and microbiologic features

Bozidar Savic  1 , Nemanja Zdravkovic  1 , Oliver Radanovic  1 , Nemanja Jezdimirovic  1 , Branislav Kureljusic  1 , Ognjen Stevancevic  1
Affiliations

A Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis outbreak in weaned piglets in Serbia: clinical signs, pathologic changes, and microbiologic features

Bozidar Savic et al. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis is rarely detected in Europe, but the clinical disease has been reported in wild boars. We describe here the clinical findings, pathologic changes, and microbiologic features of swine salmonellosis caused by S. enterica serovar Choleraesuis in weaned piglets in Serbia. In April 2019, on a large farrow-to-finish pig farm, increased mortality was reported in weaned piglets, marked by lethargy, anorexia, pyrexia, and respiratory distress. Gross pathology revealed dermal cyanosis, mesenteric lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, interstitial pneumonia, and colitis. By direct culturing of lung, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, S. enterica ser. Choleraesuis variant Kunzendorf was isolated after years of absence of the disease in pig farms in Europe. The source of this salmonellosis outbreak caused by S. enterica ser. Choleraesuis remains unknown.

Keywords: Salmonella enterica ser. Choleraesuis; Serbia; farmed pigs; outbreak investigation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figures 1–4.
Figures 1–4.
Pathologic findings in piglets infected by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis. Figure 1. Cyanosis of the skin of the nose, ears, and ventral neck of a dead piglet. The skin on the ear tip is dry and dark-purple with sloughed portions. Figure 2. Enlarged dark-purple mesenteric lymph nodes (black arrows), splenomegaly, and moderate hepatomegaly were observed in most piglets autopsied. Inset: magnification of the right hepatic lobe displaying scattered small white necrotic foci (white arrows). Figure 3. Colonic mucosa had patchy adherent gray-yellow fibrinous membranes in some autopsied piglets. Figure 4. Congestion and focal necrosis (arrow) were present in livers of dead piglets. H&E. Bar = 500 µm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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