Occurrence and characterization of E. coli pathotypes associated with post-weaning diarrhea in early weanling pigs in an organized farm

Abstract

The piggery sector plays a pivotal role in global agriculture, providing a significant source of meat production and economic livelihood for many communities worldwide. With a history dating back thousands of years, pig farming has evolved from small-scale, traditional practices to modern, intensive production systems tailored to meet the growing demands of a burgeoning global population. Post weaning diarrhea (PWD) is a common disease in early age pigs which causes a significant loss to them. To control it, antibiotics along with high dose of zinc oxide and copper sulphate are recommended. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of pathotype of Escherichia coli associated with post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in early weanling pigs. For that, 54 fecal samples from diarrheic piglets of various breeds (Crossbred, Large White Yorkshire, Landrace, Gurrah) were collected between April and June 2024 and analyzed. These samples were analyzed using culture techniques on MacConkey’s and EMB agar, biochemical tests, and PCR; 27 out of 54 samples were tested positive for E. coli. They were further tested for the presence of the pathotype of Escherichia coli by PCR. Out of 27 positive samples, 24 samples were positive for eae gene (enteropathogenic E. coli), 3 samples for stx1 gene (shiga toxin producing E. coli), and no sample was found positive for lt (enterotoxigenic E. coli) gene. The overall incidences of E. coli-induced diarrhea were 11.34 percent. Breed-specific analysis revealed the higher incidences were found in Large White Yorkshire (27.3%) compared to Crossbred (14.2%), Landrace (4.3%) and Gurrah (5.9%) breeds of piglets. Analysis of data showed that 10.8% incidences were found in males and 12.0% in female piglets.