Porcine neonatal coccidiosis

Abstract

Coccidia were identified in intestinal sections from 82 piglets comprising 37 consignments from 34 farms, and represented a yearly increasing incidence in the three years 1978 to 1980. Piglets were primarily from medium to large farms with intensive, continuous-farrowing, confinement-rearing programs. Piglets, usually five days to 15 days old, had yellow, fluid diarrhea, became unthrifty and sometimes died. In six piglets from two farms, a green, adherent, fibrinonecrotic membrane was seen throughout most of the jejunum and ileum. Significant gross lesions were not observed in the other 76 piglets. Moderate to severe villous atrophy of jejunum and ileum was seen histologically. Various asexual and sexual stages of coccidia were seen within parasitophorous vacuoles of villar epithelial cells. Multifocal erosions with necrosis of villar tips and occasionally more diffuse mucosal necrosis with fibrinocellular exudate were seen. Isospora suis oocysts were identified in feces from several weaners from one farm. Amprolium and decoquinate mixed in the sow ration at 1 kg/tonne for three weeks prior to and postfarrowing was moderately successful in stopping outbreaks of neonatal diarrhea associated with coccidiosis.