 is caused by the bacterium Haemophilus

parasuis, a small organism, of which there

are at least fifteen different types. It is
ubiquitous, found throughout the world
and is present even in high health herds. If
such herds are set up using SPF
techniques and are free from Hps it can be
devastating when they first become
contaminated, producing an anthrax-like
disease with high mortality in sows.
 Haemophilus parasuis, a commensal
organism of the upper respiratory tract of
swine that causes severe systemic disease
characterized by fibrinous polyserositis,
arthritis, and meningitis. Disease has a
sudden onset, short course, and high
morbidity and mortality.
Acute disease

 Pigs with glässers disease become rapidly depressed,

with an elevated temperature, stop eating and are
reluctant to rise. Hps attacks the smooth surfaces of
the joints, coverings of the intestine, lungs, heart and
brain. In young growing pigs meningitis or middle ear
infections are common together with pneumonia,
heart sac infection, peritonitis and pleurisy.
 Hps also causes individual cases of arthritis and
lameness with acute pain, fever and inappetence. It is
respiratory spread and a characteristic feature is a
short cough of only 2-3 episodes. Sudden death in
good sucking piglets is not uncommon in herds with
a problem and in particular when immunity in gilt
litters is low.
Chronic disease

Sucking piglets are often pale and poor

growing and 10-15% may be affected in a
litter. Such pigs then continue into the
growing period with poor growth. When long
standing pericarditis is a feature sudden
deaths occur.
 This is confirmed by clinical observations,
post-mortem examinations and isolation of
the organism in the laboratory but it is not an
easy one to grow.
These would include:

 Actinobacillus suis.
 App.
 Mulberry heart disease.
 Streptococcal meningitis.
 Streptococcal septicaemias.
 Hps has a wide antibiotic sensitivity including
amoxycillin, ampicillin, OTC, sulphonamides,
penicillin and ceftiofur.
 Look for the very early signs of huddling and
shivering and identify clinical cases.
 Treatment must be given early, particularly if
cases of meningitis are occurring. It is
important to differentiate this disease from
streptococcal meningitis and this can only be
done by isolating the respective organisms
from the brain.
 Identify the onset of disease in sucking pigs
and inject 3 to 4 days prior to this to prevent
disease, with long-acting penicillin.
 Treatments are best, using injections of
either penicillin/streptomycin,
trimethoprim/sulpha, ceftiofur or synthetic
penicillins.
 Treat for 2 to 3 days.
 Medicate the water with amoxycillin or
phenoxymethyl penicillin for 4-5 days over
the period of risk.
 Where the disease is a problem in sucking
pigs the sows feed can be top dressed daily 7
days before and 7 days after farrowing with
phenoxymethyl penicillin.
 Alternatively sows can be injected with long-
acting penicillin at point of farrowing.
 The lactating and creep rations can be
medicated with 200-300g of phenoxymethyl
penicillin.
 Autogenous vaccines can be produced and
given to the sow to stimulate an immunity
but the response is serotype specific and in
any one herd there may be a number of
different serotypes. The vaccines need to be
multivalent.
THE END!
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