Detailed explanation of the 3 common types of swine streptococcosis

Meningitis type: mostly seen in suckling piglets and weaned piglets, body temperature 40.5°C-42.5°C, not eating, constipation, serous or mucous nasal discharge, high-stepping of the forelegs, uncoordinated limbs, circling and teeth grinding, edema of the back, death in 1-2 days, and in longer cases up to 3-5 days.

Septicemic type: at the early stage of an outbreak there are often peracute cases, often with no symptoms seen the night before and death the next morning. Or the pig stops eating for 1-2 meals, has difficulty breathing, cyanotic mucous membranes, suddenly falls to the ground, with red foamy fluid flowing from the mouth and nose, and a red-purple area under the abdomen. Acute cases show body temperature rising to 41.5°C-42°C, poor appetite or no eating, constipation, serous nasal discharge, congested ocular conjunctiva, and lacrimation. After about 1 day, multiple arthritis appears, with lameness, crawling or inability to stand. In the later stage, difficulty breathing occurs.

Suppurative lymphadenitis type: the sick pig develops acute abscess foci protruding above the skin surface on the pharynx, under the ears, neck, buttocks and back. Pathological changes are prominently manifested as suppurative arthritis, suppurative meningitis, septic lesions and serositis, with blood or red foam flowing from the natural orifices, and purple spots or hemorrhagic patches on the skin of the neck, abdomen and lower parts of the limbs; systemic lymph nodes are hemorrhagic, the mucosa and serosa show patchy or pinpoint hemorrhages, and the cerebral blood vessels are congested or hemorrhagic; the synovial surface of the joint capsule is congested and rough, the synovial fluid is turbid and mixed with yellow-white cheese-like masses, and there is yellow gelatinous edema in the subcutaneous tissue around the joints.