ABSTRACT
Porcine proliferative enteritis is an important enteric disease that has been reported in many countries around the world. In this study, we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect Lawsonia intracellularis in fecal samples from 1,215 pigs with clinical signs of diarrhea, ages from 25 days to 12 months. These samples were collected in 207 swine herds from important swine producing areas in Brazil between January 1997 and December 1999. A hundred and eighty-one positive fecal samples (15%) were observed and sixty-three herds showed positive animals (30%). A similar frequency of positive animals was observed in some age groups: 25 to 42 day old, 70 to 120 day old, and 120 to 180 day old. However, pigs in the 43 to 70 day old age group were significantly less positive to L. intracellularis detection than others, and animals older than 180 days were significantly more affected by this agent (P < 0.001). These results assert the importance of PPE in the major swine production regions of Brazil. The PCR showed to be a fast, sensitive and useful method in epidemiological studies.
KEY WORDS:
Lawsonia intracellularis; pig; diarrhea; ileitis; PCR; porcine proliferative enteritis.