Teaming up for animal health
Mycoplasma hyosynoviae infections in finisher pigs with arthritis Theo Geudeke, Karin Junker, Sylvia Greijdanus GD Animal Health, Deventer, The Netherlands
Introduction The outcome of a telephonic survey by GD Animal Health in the Netherlands in 2013 on lameness in pigs, suggested lameness to be an emerging problem. The lameness problem was characterized as follows: • acute lameness in more than one leg • swollen joints and bursas, predominantly in hind legs • normal rectal temperature, low mortality • mostly in finisher pigs (3 to 5 months of age) Possible causes of these symptoms: • Mycoplasma hyosynoviae (M. hyosynoviae) infection. • osteochondrosis
Materials and methods
Results
Animals In order to establish whether M. hyosynoviae plays a role in lameness in finishers in the Netherlands, GD Animal Health (Deventer) examined 19 animals selected on the following criteria: • pigs 3 to 5 months of age • history of acute lameness and swollen joints Examination • gross pathology • samples from swollen joints were cultured and samples were send to TiHo (Hannover) for specific culture for M. hyosynoviae • histology of joint & bone tissue (to detect inflammation and/or osteochondrosis)
19 pigs (from 9 herds) were investigated pathologically, 35 joints were cultured: elbow (5), carpus (2), hip (1), knee (15), tarsus (12). All joints with an M. hyosynoviae infection presented histological signs of arthritis consistent with a M. hyosynoviae infection. The knee joint was affected mostly (P=0.015; Fisher Exact test) . Many pigs (n=14) showed signs of osteochondrosis. No clear correlation (P=0.628; Fisher Exact test) between osteochondrosis and a M. hyosynoviae infection was established, probably due to the limited number of observations.
Conclusion Mycoplasma hyosynoviae plays a significant role in acute lameness of finishers pigs between 3 and 5 months of age in the Netherlands.
Result of culture
# joints
# animals/ herd
# herds
M. hyosynoviae
13
9
6
Streptococcus suis
7
3
2
Mixed culture
6
5
4
No bacteria
9
7
5
Figure 1. Knee joint pig; arthritis caused by Mycoplasma hyosynoviae infection; lymphocytic and plasma cellular inflammatory infiltration in proliferated stromal tissue; irregular joint capsule
Figure 2. Hock joint; arthritis caused by Mycoplasma hyosynoviae infection; perivascular inflammatory infiltration
GD, P.O. Box 9, 7400 AA Deventer, the Netherlands, T. +31 (0)570-63 33 91, F. +31 (0)570-63 41 04 www.gdanimalhealth.com, info@gdanimalhealth.com
GDOV0799/05-16
contact: t.geudeke@gdanimalhealth.com