Placentitis and Abortion in a Swine

Steve Rushton DVM, DACVP
Jennifer Haugland DVM
Rollins Diagnostic Laboratory
Raleigh, North Carolina
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Signalment and History
y Aborted pigs from multiparous sow
y Free range 100 sow facility
y Up to 50% sows unable to breed back
y Three abortions in last year
y Mummies and stillbirths in live birth litters
y Leptospira and Parvo only vaccines given
y Seven aborted piglets submitted to diagnostic lab
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Gross examination
y Most placentas have roughened chorioallantic surface
y Interlobular edema and consolidation of lungs
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“Permission granted only for viewing on SEVPAC website”
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“Permission granted only for viewing on SEVPAC website”
“Permission granted only for viewing on SEVPAC website”
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“Permission granted only for viewing on SEVPAC website”
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Morphological diagnosis
y Lung: bronchopneumonia, neutrophilic, moderate, multifocal with interlobular edema and intralesional
Gram positive and Acid‐Fast positive filamentous bacteria
y Placenta: placentitis, neutrophilic, moderate, multifocal with intralesional Gram positive and Acid‐
Fast positive filamentous bacteria
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Bacteriology
y Pure growth of Nocardia sp. in Placenta, Lung, Stomach contents and Intestine
y 16SrRNA gene sequencing showed greater than 99% homology to Nocardia nova within the Nocardia
asteroides complex
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Virology, IHC and PCR
y IHC and PCR negative for PRRS and PCVII
y Leptospirosis, Parvo and Pseudorabies FA negative
y Brucella culture negative
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Nocardia sp.
y Nocardia species belong to the Actinomycetaceae
family
y Gram positive, strictly aerobic and variably acid‐fast, filamentous, branching rods
y Saprophytes found in soil, water (fresh and salt), decaying vegetation, animal fecal deposits, and dust
y Infection usually through wounds and inhalation
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Nocardia sp.
y Few sporadic abortion cases in horses, cattle and pigs
y Nocardia nova identified in cutaneous and systemic infections in humans
y This case appears to be a random cause of Nocardia
abortion
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“Permission granted only for viewing on SEVPAC website”