Significance of pathologic-anatomical nose examinations in slaughter-pigs of a fattening farm for the diagnosis of rhinitis atrophicans in the original herd
Kayser, G.; Lahde, G.
Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 78(18): 494-496
1971
ISSN/ISBN: 0341-6593 PMID: 4936547 Document Number: 42400
A total of 1330 animals transferred from 153 breeding herds (four pigs of each litter) to a pig fattening farm at 8-11 weeks of age, all in a clinically healthy state, were examined at slaughter for symptoms of atrophic rhinitis (a.r.). At the fattening farm free contact between pigs from different herds was allowed; the ratio fed contained 0.88% Ca, 0.73% P, with at least 5400 I.U. vitamin A and 540 I.U. vitamin D3 per kg. Deformation of the maxilla with extensive atrophy of nasal turbinates was observed in 11 heads (0.8%), uni- or bilateral turbinate atrophy in 177 (13.3%), anomalies of nasal organs without turbinate atrophy in 26 (2.0%), while 1116 heads displayed no gross changes. The 188 animals with undoubted a.r. originated from 73 breeding herds, but a.r. could be detected on clinical examination or after slaughter of suspect animals in only six of these herds, while another ten herds showed only probably nonspecific clinical symptoms (rhinitis without deformation of maxilla) or turbinate atrophy without rhinitis. It appeared that severe a.r. with maxillary deformation developed only in piglets infected before weaning on the six breeding premises where a.r. was manifest and that these animals were already latently infected before trnasfer to the fattening farm, the other animals acquiring a less severe infection by contact at the fattening farm.