CLOSTRIDIAL ENTERITIDES IN PIG

• Sponsoring Institution: Cooperating Schools of Veterinary Medicine
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: STATE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0218435
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2006
• Project End Date: Oct 1, 2009
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
S. AND 16TH ELWOOD
AMES,IA 50011

Performing Department
Veterinary Medicine

Non Technical Summary
Clostridium difficile (Cd) has been demonstrated as a potential pathogen in pigs, with diagnostic criteria that include clinical signs, lesions, toxin detection, and isolation of the offending organism. Recent attention has been directed toward pork products as a possible source of human infections. There is need for a reliable swinel model to evaluate interventions for mitigation of Cd infections, disease, and carriage with greater confidence.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

100%

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
311	3510	1100	50%
311	3510	1160	50%

Knowledge Area
311 - Animal Diseases;

Subject Of Investigation
3510 - Swine, live animal;

Field Of Science
1160 - Pathology; 1100 - Bacteriology;

Keywords

clostridium difficile

disease model

swine

challenge

Goals / Objectives
Develop of a reliable Clostridium difficile challenge model for suckling piglets and use the model to evaluate intervention strategies.

Project Methods
We are initially planning replication of study involving 10 pigs each time. We may need to replicate this up to 8 times based on clinical evaluation and histopathologic lessions found in the previous group as a way to confirming a working protocol. To successfully achieve a model, each additional replicate may have a different isolate. We will initially start with some snatch farrowed pigs in order to minimize the effects of colostrum intake/protection. Pigs will be obtained from a herd with a history of producing PRRS negative piglets and with no recent history of neonatal diarrhea associated with clostridium. Pigs will be raised on a balanced milk replacer/supplement away from the sows. Pigs will be feed every 4 hours by oral gavage in additio to free choice access to a bowl. Each group will consist of seven challenged pigs, and three controls for a total of 10 pigs. To minimize cross contamination, control pigs will be kept separate from the treatment pigs and extra care will be taken to prevent fecal cross contamination when handling the pigs which will be housed individually (floor mat provided) with supplemetal heat. Challenged pigs will be inoculated and will be sequentially euthanized for evaluation every 24 hours for a total of four study points (0, 24, 48, and 72 hours). At each study point two challenged and one control pig will be euthanized with three challenge pigs euthanized at the end.

Progress 10/01/06 to 10/01/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: We were able to successfully generate clostridium difficile enteritis in snatch farrowed pigs. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Swine pork producers, swine veterinarians, and Clostridium difficile researchers are the primary target audience. Journal publication and conference presentations have allowed us to disseminate information on this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
We were able to generate disease without the use of antibiotics, as well as further refine gross and macroscopic scoring system to be used. The model we have created can now be used to evaluate different interventions in mitigating C. difficile disease in piglets.

Publications

• Lizer JT, Madson DM, Schwartz KJ, Harris H, Bosworth BT, Kinyon JM, Ramirez A. Experimental infection of conventional neonatal pigs with Clostridium difficile: A new model. J Swine Health Prod. 2013;21(1):22-29.