An outbreak of botulism on a pig farm due to the newly described Clostridium botulinum type C.

This study reports a botulism outbreak on a pig farm. Clostridium botulinum type C was detected using PCR. The gene encoding the toxin corresponds to a novel type C neurotoxin recently described in a human botulism outbreak, raising the question of its prevalence in pigs and the related risks to humans.

Pre-infection of pigs with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae modifies outcomes of infection with European swine influenza virus of H1N1, but not H1N2, subtype.

Swine influenza virus (SIV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) are widespread in farms and are major pathogens involved in the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC). The aim of this experiment was to compare the pathogenicity of European avian-like swine H1N1 and European human-like reassortant swine H1N2 viruses in naïve pigs and in pigs previously infected with Mhp. Six groups of SPF pigs were inoculated intra-tracheally with either Mhp, or H1N1, or H1N2 or Mhp+H1N1 or Mhp+H1N2, both pathogens being inoculated at 21 days intervals in these two last groups.

Vaccination of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)-infected sows against porcine Parvovirus (PPV) and Erysipelas: effect on post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and on PCV2 genome load in the offspring.

The effect of different Parvovirus+Erysipelas vaccination schemes in PCV2-infected sows on PMWS outcome in the offspring was investigated under experimental conditions. Six PCV2-free sows were first infected oro-nasally with PCV2 two months before insemination (D0; "Day 0") and then by the intra-uterine route at insemination (D62). On D21 and D42, vaccinated sows received either the two commercial monovalent vaccines, A1(PPV) and A2(Erysipelas), or the bivalent vaccine B (PPV+Erysipelas).

An experimental model for post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in growing piglets.

Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is a comparatively new disease of swine, and known to occur in France since 1996. A porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is found in the lesions of affected piglets. Six piglets aged 10-13 weeks were obtained from a French PMWS-affected farm.

Pigeon circovirus infection: pathological observations and suggested pathogenesis.

Pigeon circovirus infection (PiCV) was diagnosed by light and transmission electron microscopy in 15 birds from five lofts in western France. Histopathological findings were suggestive of primary bursotropism of pigeon circovirus, followed by secondary systemic spread from the bursa of Fabricius, particularly to non-bursal lymphoid organs. The last stage of the disease was associated with various secondary (particularly bacterial) infections.