Pathological findings in anaemic pigs

Abstract

Carcasses of 6 pigs were presented to Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati for necropsy examination with a history of anorexia, bloody diarrhoea and weakness. External examination revealed poor body condition, pale mucus membranes, sunken eyeballs, cyanotic and haemorrhagic areas were noticed on dorsal and ventral aspects of the body of pigs. Serosanguineous fluid was observed in thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity. Post mortem examination was carried out in 6 pigs with severe anaemia, grossly severe parasitic infestation was observed in large intestine. In addition, hydropericardium, mild hepatomegaly and mild decrease in redness was noticed in bone marrow. Bone marrow aspirate revealed red cell aplasia, few early erythroid precursor cells, granulocytic precursors and lymphocyte precursors. Histopathologically, in intestine disruption of intestinal epithelium and mucosa, desquamation of epithelial cells, cut section of worms in the intestinal lumen, infiltration of lymphocytes and eosinophils in the lamina propria were observed. Engorgement of red pulp, deposition of haemosiderin pigment and infiltration of eosinophils, neutrophils and fibroblasts were noticed in red pulp in spleen of anemic pigs.