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Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD), which is caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), is a multifactorial disease. The presence of ETEC alone is not always sufficient for the disease to develop. Many other factors are considered to be associated with the occurrence of PWD, including feed type, feeding regimen, the presence of other infectious agents, weaning age, and weight. Weaning, which is considered to be a major physiological and psychological stress factor, is critical for the disease to occur. Although piglets are already colonized with ETEC before weaning, on many farms, clinical disease occurs only after weaning. Both sows and the environment could be possible sources of infection for piglets, but results from previous studies have not resolved this issue because of the low sensitivity of ETEC detection methods.
This study provides preliminary data based on a sensitive detection method for E. coli O149 in pigs and their environment. The results demonstrate the potential of real-time PCR for future studies on this topic.
Priti S. Goswami, Robert M. Friendship, Carlton L. Gyles, Cornelis Poppe, Patrick Boerlin. Preliminary investigations of the distribution of Escherichia coli O149 in sows, piglets, and their environment. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. January 2011.
