Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia (APP)

This disease primarily affects pigs of 8 to 16 weeks. The key clinical signs include
heavy breathing difficulties; blueing of the ears; sudden death with haemorrhage
from the nose.

Background and history

The bacterium Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) consists of at least twelve
different serotypes, some of which produce no disease but others cause severe
disease. Serotypes vary in different countries. Types 1, 5, 9, 11 and 12 are usually
highly virulent and strains 3 and 6 are mild. App is carried in the tonsils and upper
respiratory tract. It is transmitted short distances by droplet infection through nose
to nose contact. It is probably airborne for only 5 to 10 metres.

The organism may affect the pig from weaning through to slaughter but usually the
age is from 8 to 16 weeks. The incubation period is very short, as little as 12 hours
through to three days. Toxins produce severe damage to the lungs. Disease is dose
dependent i.e. the more bacteria the pig is exposed to the more severe will be the
disease.

Pigs may be infected with different serotypes simultaneously. Porcine reproductive

and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and enzootic pneumonia (EP) can make the disease
worse. In a naïve herd up to 30 percent of animals may be affected. When App
attacks the lungs the toxins produced cause severe damage to the tissues which turn
blue to black (necrosis) with extensive pleurisy. The chest cavity rapidly fills up with
fluid.

The organism may survive in discharges, serum etc. for up to five days. App dies
quickly if dried, but it may persist in water for 20 days or more. App can survive in
the lungs and tonsils for long periods of at least four months. Contact with dead
stock is therefore important from biosecurity.

App is uncommon in sows unless they are naive or disease is triggered by PRRS or flu.
Similar diseases include EP, PRRS, Swine influenza (SI) and salmonella choleraesuis
pneumonia.
Clinical signs
Unusual in adult and very young pigs unless a naive herd. Sudden death/mortality –
only sign is a bloody discharge from the nose. Sudden death/mortality – no
symptoms and more than one percent of such deaths. Post mortems required.

Deaths are often caused by a combination of heart failure and toxins. A short cough,
perhaps one to three coughs at a time – different from the prolonged coughing of EP.
Severe heavy breathing difficulties. Abdominal breathing rather than chest breathing.
This abdominal breathing is used to differentiate clinically between App and EP.
Blueing of the ears. Badly affected pigs are: severely depressed; off feed.

Causes
Contaminated or carrier incoming pigs. Affected pigs may carry asymptomatically for
a long period of time and are therefore a potential risk to younger pigs. Can be
spread mechanically by equipment and visitors. Water deprivation. Low temperature
and low humidity predisposes. Stress/movement. Nutritional changes. Continual
production. High stocking densities. Prevention

Management is effective and avoids the need for extensive strategic medication. The
following measures can be adopted: Check that the herds which supply you with
replacement breeding stock are screened on the basis of herd history, clinical
inspections and absence of clinical signs and regular lung examinations at slaughter.
Avoid introducing pigs from multiple sources. Do not mix pigs from herds with the
disease and pigs from herds which are free from the disease.

Provide all visitors, including your veterinarian, with a hat, clean coveralls and boots
and insist that they wear them. Install a shower and make all visitors wash their hair,
hands and beard if they have one. Check that visitors have not come direct from
another diseased herd. Build a loading bay in such a way that when lorries collect
pigs the driver does not have to enter your building and you do not have to go on the
lorry. Avoid loading your pigs onto lorries which already have pigs on board from
other farms. All vehicles should be empty and disinfected before arrival.

Quarantine incoming breeding pigs for a minimum of three and optimum of six
weeks and inspect them daily.In grower/finisher units which purchase 25 to 30kg pigs
from weaner producers purchasing pigs from a limited number of known sources
helps to reduce the risk of infection. The practice of all-in all-out by building or
preferably site may help.

Organisation of a multi-site system in which the three-week-old piglets are weaned

immediately from the breeding sow site into an all-in all-out nursery before coming
to the grower/finisher.

Consider prophylactic medication for a period after entry. Assess the results of
vaccination. Consider adopting SEW or SDC techniques. Vaccinate for EP and control
PRRS. Consider routine vaccination of sows and/or incoming gilts with App vaccine.
Watch the market for new vaccines. Operate all-in all-out, at least by room, rather
than continuous throughout production. Avoid stress and overcrowding. Increase the
levels of vitamin E by 50–100g/tonne.

Maintain good ventilation and a warm air flow. Keep pigs warm, dry and draught
free. Provide a plentiful supply of easily obtainable water. Temporary water
deprivation will trigger disease. Consider strategic feed medication in advance of and
during the likely time of onset of disease. Keep injectable antibiotics in a refrigerator
ready for prompt treatment of sick pigs. Strategic medication. It is important to
determine when the onset of the disease is likely to occur, to assess adverse
environmental factors and to apply strategic medication just prior to this time.

In-feed medication during the period of risk could include:

Phenoxymethyl penicillin – 200–400g/tonne
Chlortetracycline – 500–800g/tonne
Trimethoprim/sulpha – 300–400g/tonne
Oxytetracycline – 500–800g/tonne
Tilmicosin – 200 to 400g/tonne for 7 to 15 days
Water medication during the period of risk can be more effective in preventing
disease. Treat for 4 to 7 days. Similar medicines to in-feed medication can be used.

Preventive feed medication is not always effective, probably because of the rapid
onset of disease and rapid loss of appetite. However tilmicosin in feed at 200g–
400g/tonne has been shown to be effective used strategically.
Exclusion from the herd

Effective vaccines are commercially available in most countries but they only
immunise against homologous serotypes (i.e. the serotypes that are incorporated in
the vaccine) and not against other serotypes. Natural infection tends to immunise
against all serotypes.

In pig disease areas where herds are close together and the level of infection is high,
it may prove impossible to exclude the disease from the herd. In more isolated herds
it may be possible to maintain freedom from the disease for long periods (although
even if extreme measures are adopted, breakdowns may occur, the sources of which
are often unknown).

Controlling the environment

Avoid rapid temperature fluctuations. Avoid low humidities and low temperatures.
Try fogging to decrease the numbers of organisms in the air. One percent Virkon S
can be of value. Large airborne particles >10µm are retained in nasal passages.
Particles of 0.5–3µm penetrate deep into lung tissue (bacteria, App and
mycoplasma).
Low temperatures and high humidity produce large droplets that sediment quickly
with less exposure.
High temperatures and low humidity produce small droplets that sediment quickly
with less exposure.
Low temperatures and low humidity produce small droplets that stay airborne – a
dangerous environment.

Treatment
In an acute outbreak examine the at-risk group three times daily to identify disease
as early as possible. It may be necessary to inject the whole group. The decision to
inject is a balance between effect, and risk of more disease due to the stress of
handling the pigs.

As affected pigs stop eating or drinking water or feed medication is usually

ineffective. App usually has a wide range of antibiotic sensitivity. On the first day
inject the pig twice eight hours apart. The following antibiotics are usually effective:
Amoxycillin.
Ampicillin.
Ceftiofur. This is a very rapid acting medicine and gives a good response.
Enrofloxacin.
Tiamulin, OTC. This can be used in more chronic cases. Repeat every two days.
Penicillin.
Penicillin/streptomycin.