Diagnosis and Treatment of Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex

Porcine respiratory disease complex is a highly pathogenic infectious disease caused by mixed infection with various viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms, primarily manifesting as respiratory symptoms and lesions in pigs. The pathogens causing the disease are not identical across different pig farms. Primary infections may include PRRSV, PCV-II, PRV, SIV, HCV, the pathogen of porcine infectious atrophic rhinitis, and Mycoplasma; secondary infections may include Streptococcus, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis, Eperythrozoon, Salmonella, etc.

Clinical symptoms: At a pig farm in western Guangdong, a new batch of weaned piglets was introduced. About 10 days after entry, the piglets showed poor spirits, with rough, erect and lusterless hair. Some showed panting, coughing and very obvious abdominal breathing, with increased ocular discharge. The whole herd was emaciated and grew slowly. Red papules appeared on the skin of the ears, back and abdomen. In particular, a few pigs developed large red rash patches on the skin of the rump and the back of the thighs. Since no deaths had occurred, no necropsy was performed.

Diagnosis: Based on observation of the clinical symptoms, it could be preliminarily determined to be porcine respiratory disease complex caused by multiple pathogens.

Drug treatment and prevention: For pigs with severe panting and coughing, use strong-effect amoxicillin 1 vial/25 kg + dexamethasone 12 mg + lincomycin injection 20 mg/kg, intramuscular injection, twice a day for 2 consecutive days.

For pigs with red rash patches on the skin, use Qingkailing 0.2 mL/kg + astragalus polysaccharide injection 0.2 mL/kg + strong-effect amoxicillin 1 vial/25 kg, mix and inject intramuscularly, twice a day for 2 consecutive days.

For the whole herd, mix Antiviral No. 1 500 g/500 kg + 70% amoxicillin 400 mg/ton into the feed and feed continuously for 7 days to improve the body's disease resistance and prevent secondary infection.

Sanitation and prevention: Establish and improve a pig farm biosecurity system centered on disinfection and sanitation work, integrate disinfection (using compound aldehyde or compound iodine for disinfection) and sanitation work throughout every link of @#@227@#@ production, provide for the nutritional needs of the pig herd at different stages, and maintain a reasonable and balanced nutritional level in the herd. Regularly adding Antiviral No. 1 to the feed has a significant effect on enhancing the disease resistance and stress resistance of pigs.

Good feeding management: avoid raising pigs of different ages together, and minimize the number of times the herd is moved between pens and mixed. Ensure good insulation and ventilation in the farrowing house and nursery, and reduce the stocking density of the herd.

Carry out vaccination work well against diseases such as swine fever, porcine pseudorabies, swine enzootic pneumonia, porcine infectious pleuropneumonia and atrophic rhinitis.

The use of drugs should focus on prevention. The method of adding drugs to sow and piglet feed can be adopted. For weaned piglets, tilmicosin (300 ppm) + doxycycline (300 ppm) + Antiviral No. 1 500 g/500 kg can be used continuously for 7 days. For sows, use doxycycline (300 ppm) + 70% amoxicillin (300 ppm) + Antiviral No. 1 500 g/500 kg during the week before and the week after farrowing, which has a very good preventive effect on porcine respiratory disease complex.