TECNICHE DIAGNOSTICHE APPLICATE ALL’EPIDEMIOLOGIA AZIENDALE DELLE INFEZIONI DA STREPTOCOCCUS SUIS NEL CICLO PRODUTTIVO DEL SUINO TRADIZIONALE ITALIANO

IN ORDER TO CHECK THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF STREPTOCOCCUS SUIS INFECTIONS IN FARM, A DIAGNOSTIC PROTOCOL HAS BEEN APPLIED. THE RESULTS WERE THE ISOLATION OF 119 STRAINS OF S. SUIS FROM 187 VAGINAL AND TONSILS SWABS CARRIED ON SOWS AND RELATED LITTERS. ANIMALS WERE FOLLOWED UP TO 160 DAYS OF AGE AND THE S. SUIS STRAINS WERE CAPSULAR TYPED WITH A CO- AGGLUTINATION TEST. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOWS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE INFECTION AND THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF THE WEANING WAS CONFIRMED. PERCENTAGE OF INSULATION AROUND 40% WERE ALSO FOUND IN FATTENING UNIT. CO- AGGLUTINATION TEST CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF MORE THAN ONE capsular type IN THE SAME HERD AND EVEN IN THE SAME ANIMAL