Caracterização epidemiológica, clínica e patológica da doença do edema em suínos.

Abstract

Edema disease is a disease caused by toxins synthesized by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, and it usually affects piglets that have recently been weaned. These toxins cause vascular and neurological damage. The objective of this study was to describe cases of edema disease in pigs diagnosed at the Animal Pathology Laboratory of the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Campina Grande, Patos- Paraíba. To do this, a survey was performed identifying the protocols of all necropsies performed in pigs during the period from January 2003 to December 2015. Next, we selected the cases diagnosed for edema disease. Data such as sex, age, race, feeding, management, clinical signs, and macroscopic and microscopic lesions were obtained. From a total of 81 swine necropsies, 17 cases of edema disease (20.98%) were diagnosed, being eight males, six females and three animals no information about sex. The age range ranged from 40 days to 8 months of age. All animals were intensively reared, 15 non-breed, one Largewhite and one Landrace. The feeding of the animals was composed of milk, as well as ration and food remains. In most cases there was no information on vaccination. The animals came from the municipalities of Paraíba, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte. The main clinical signs reported were incoordenation, decubitus, prostration, cachexia, eyelid edema, in addition to diarrhea and apathy. Macroscopically, the described lesions were characteristic of edema. Subcutaneous edema (eyelid edema), hydroperitoneum, edema of the stomach wall, pulmonary edema and congestion of the vessels of the leptomeninges were observed. Microscopically, the main lesions were observed in the encephalon and were characterized mainly by vessel wall hyalinization and endothelial cell necrosis. Based on the results, it can be concluded that edema disease is commonly diagnosed in our region and that its occurrence is mainly related to deficiencies in food and sanitary management. The guidance on food and sanitary management is important to pig producers in the region, in order to minimize the occurrence of the disease and consequently economic losses.