LAWSONIA INTRACELLULARIS AS A COMMON CAUSE OF COLITIS IN SWINE

摘要

Porcine proliferative enteropathy is a widespread and important disease causing diarrhea, retarded growth and/or sudden death. The disease is characterized by thickening of the intestinal mucosa resulting from adenomatous proliferation of immature enterocytes infected by the obligate intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis (3, 4). Usually, the aboral small intestines, particularly the ileum, are infected while affection of the large intestines has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to demonstrate colitis as a common finding in L. intracellularis infected swine.