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Mycoplasma suis infection in pigs after splenectomy

Lab Animal volume 42, pages 125–128 (2013)Cite this article

Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus), a cross-breed of Yorkshire and Hampshire, were obtained by Ethicon Endo-Surgery for evaluation and development of surgical devices. We received the pigs from a supplier who maintains a closed, non-specific-pathogen-free, farrow-to-finish herd. The supplier housed the pigs separately by age group in buildings that were sanitized every 3–4 weeks on an alternating disinfectant schedule and fed the pigs a starter ration (High Lean Start HD 25/50 2056CSP, Kalmbach Feeds, Upper Sandusky, OH) containing chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine and penicillin for prophylaxis against Salmonella choleraesuis and vibrionic dystentery. All pigs were vaccinated against Bordetella bronchiseptica, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Pasteurella multocida (Rhini Shield TX4 Bacterin-Toxoid, Novartis Animal Health, Basel, Switzerland), and breeding sows were also vaccinated biannually against parvovirus, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, common Leptospira serovars canicola, grippotyphosa, hardjo, icterohaemorrhagiae and pomona (FarrowSure Gold, Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY) to ensure herd immunity. In the absence of an outbreak, the supplier did not carry out any specific disease screenings.

At the time of their arrival at our facility from the supplier, the pigs' body weight ranged from 33.2 kg to 41.8 kg. We housed all pigs with other pigs from the same vendor for a quarantine period of at least 7 d in accordance with the guidelines of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals1. During this time, we fed the pigs two scoops of a grower ration (Lab Porcine Grower Diet 5084, Purina Mills, Gray Summit, MO) once daily. Once our study began, pigs that were anesthetized for experimental purposes were offered an additional half ration of food after they recovered from anesthesia. We provided water ad libitum and made enrichment devices available to the pigs. The attending veterinarian examined all pigs prior to their use in any procedures; any pig determined to be unfit for surgery was removed from the study. The pigs reported here were all declared healthy upon arrival and before surgery.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

    Brian T. Dent

  2. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, OH

    Karla A. Stevens,  Donna L. Korvick &  Jeffrey W. Clymer

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  1. Brian T. Dent
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  4. Jeffrey W. Clymer
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Correspondence to Jeffrey W. Clymer.

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Dent, B., Stevens, K., Korvick, D. et al. Mycoplasma suis infection in pigs after splenectomy. Lab Anim 42, 125–128 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.171

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