Rotavirus infection in pigs

The pathogenic agent is Rotavirus. It causes diarrhea with yellow feces containing a lot of bubble and mucus. The disease is serious in suckling pigs and milder in weaners, incubation period is: 18 – 24 hours. Transmission of the disease mostly is via gastrointestinal tract. Mortality rate is about 30 - 40%.

1. Etiology and characteristics of the disease
The pathogenic agent is Rotavirus. It causes diarrhea with yellow feces containing a lot of bubble and mucus. The disease is serious in suckling pigs and milder in weaners, incubation period is: 18 – 24 hours. Transmission of the disease mostly is via gastrointestinal tract. Mortality rate is about 30 - 40%.

Structure of Rotavirus

2. Symptoms
- Suckling piglets manifest reduced suckling, less moving vomitting, some hours later diarrhea appears in some of pigs in the herd, then spread to all of pigs in the herd then to the herds in adjacent place.
Diarrhea usually lasts for several days (4-6 days). Weaning piglets also express diarrhea diarrhea with yellow feces but time is shorter (about 3 days). Then most of the pigs may be self resolved.
- Piglets are emaciated very rapidly due to severe dehydration.

Affected piglets have diarrhea in yellow colour

3. Lesions
- The small intestine appears thin walled, intestinal content is yellow and fairly sticky
- Epithelial lining of small intestine is flattened and atrophied.

Intestinal wall is thin and Intestinal content is yellow in

4. Prevention
Vaccination of pregnant sows to prevent infection of piglets.
MARFLOMIX or DOXY 2% PREMIX or TYLVAMIX is periodically administered in feed or drinking water for prevention the disease in pigs
- TYLVAMIX periodically to pig disease prevention.
- Cleaning animal house with disinfectant and enhancing resistance of pigs to limit the porcin virus infection in pigs.
Providing sufficient feed and drinking water for sows and piglets, piglets are kept warm at the right temperature.

5. Treatment
-The disease is a viral disease, there is no specific treatment. One of the following regimens can be used for treatment of secondary infections in pigs:
Method 1: Intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, CEFANEW-LA with dose: 1ml/20-25kg. Mix with feed or dissolve in water: Electrolyte – GLUCO-K-C with dose 2g/1 litre
Method 2: combines CEFA 20% or COLICOC with Herbal MARPHASOL