''Actinobacillus suis'' is a
beta-haemolytic,
Gram-negative bacterium of the family
Pasteurellaceae. The bacterium has many strains and is the pathogen responsible for
actinobacillosis
Actinobacillosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Actinobacillus. It is more commonly associated with animals than with humans.
One of the most common forms seen by veterinarians is mouth actinobacillosis of cattle, due to ''Actinobacillus ligni ...
in pigs of all ages. It can also infect wild birds, domestic ruminants, dogs, cats, and horses. The organism can be found in the respiratory tract and
tonsils of both infected and healthy pigs that act as carriers.
Transmission
Transmission may refer to:
Medicine, science and technology
* Power transmission
** Electric power transmission
** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power
*** Automatic transmission
*** Manual transmission
*** ...
is via the respiratory tract and piglets are usually infected early on in life. Herds with a high health status are more at risk and
outbreaks can be explosive.
Clinical signs and diagnosis
Affected piglets can develop
septicaemia, multifocal infections, and respiratory signs, and may die. Adult pigs may show signs relating to
pneumonia,
lethargy,
anorexia, skin lesions similar to
erysipelas, and sudden death. Diagnosis relies on the
culture of sampled tissues to isolate the organism. Signs and necropsy findings may mimic diseases such as erysipelas, Glasser's disease, and ''
Streptococcus suis
''Streptococcus suis'' is a peanut-shaped, Gram-positive bacterium, and an important pathogen of pigs. Endemic in nearly all countries with an extensive pig industry, ''S. suis'' is also a zoonotic disease, capable of transmission to humans from ...
'' or ''Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae'' infection.
Treatment and control
Antibiotics such as
ceftiofur,
gentamicin
Gentamicin is an antibiotic used to treat several types of bacterial infections. This may include bone infections, endocarditis, pelvic inflammatory disease, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and sepsis among others. It is not e ...
, and
trimethoprim/sulfadiazine are effective in treating the disease if diagnosis is rapid enough.
Biosecurity measures should be strictly followed in herds, including adequate
quarantine time, testing, and disinfection protocols.
References
*''Actinobacillus suis'', reviewed and published by Wikivet at http://en.wikivet.net/Actinobacillus_suis accessed 07/10/2011.
*Actinobacillosis - Pig, reviewed and published by Wikivet at http://en.wikivet.net/Actinobacillosis_-_Pig accessed 07/10/2011.
External links
Type strain of ''Actinobacillus suis'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4676910
Swine diseases
Bacteria described in 1910
Pasteurellales