A novel watery diarrhoea caused by the co-infection of neonatal piglets with Clostridium perfringens type A and Escherichia coli (K88, 987P)

In 2011, a novel watery diarrhoea in 1-7 day-old piglets occurred in Changchun, China, characterized by high pathogenicity and mortality. Investigation of clinical signs, examination for viruses, and isolation and identification of bacteria showed that co-infection by Clostridium perfringens type A and Escherichia coli (K88, 987P) was the most likely cause of the disease. Newborn piglets challenged with a mixture of Clostridium perfringens type A and Escherichia coli (K88, 987P) died within 3 days with clinical signs and gross lesions similar to those in the piglets that died in the outbreak.A subsequent study showed that the use in sows of an inactivated vaccine against the two causal bacteria was effective at reducing the incidence of the watery diarrhoea in piglets. Piglets from sows given the inactivated vaccine had a incidence of watery diarrhoea of 8% (14/175), much lower than the 95% (192/201) seen in piglets from control sows. This is the first report of diarrhoea in piglets resulting from co-infection of Clostridium perfringens type A and Escherichia coli (K88, 987P). Further studies are required to better understand the pathogenesis of this disease.