Treatment and prevention of porcine proliferative enteropathy with oral tiamulin
McOrist, S.; Smith, S.H.; Shearn, M.F.; Carr, M.M.; Miller, D.J.
Veterinary Record 139(25): 615-618
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 9123785 Document Number: 462219
Twenty weaner pigs were challenged orally with a virulent inoculum of Lawsonia intracellularis strain LR189/5/83, a British isolate of the causative agent of porcine proliferative enteropathy, and 7 control pigs were dosed with a buffer solution. Seven of the 20 challenged pigs were left untreated; they gained less weight than the controls and 3 of them developed mild to moderate diarrhoea 2 weeks after the challenge. All 7 developed lesions, 6 visible grossly, of proliferative enteropathy, and numerous intracellular L. intracellularis were detected in sections of the intestines examined 3 weeks after the challenge. To test a prophylaxis dosing strategy for tiamulin, 6 of the challenged pigs were dosed orally with 50 ppm tiamulin, incorporated in a 2% stabilised premix, given from 2 days before the challenge until they were killed. To test a treatment strategy, the remaining group of 7 challenged pigs were dosed orally with 150 ppm tiamulin given in the premix from 7 days after challenge until they were killed. All the control pigs and the 13 pigs treated with tiamulin, either before or after challenge, remained clinically normal and had no specific lesions of proliferative enteropathy in sections of the intestines examined postmortem.