Familiarity with clinical signs, knowing what questions to ask your veterinarian and recognizing that no one test by itself gives a definitive answer are all important aspects of diagnosing Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae-associated disease.

Despite advances in diagnostics and a wealth of new information about disease-causing organisms, accurate diagnosis of mycoplasmal pneumonia is challenging for both swine veterinarians and pork producers because no one set of clinical signs and no single test can provide a definitive diagnosis.

For many U.S. pork producers, advances such as all-in-all-out pig flow, multi-site production facilities, biosecurity protocols and timely use of highly effective vaccines have reduced disease risk while increasing herd health. Yet one disease risk continues to lurk within swine herds, threatening pig health and farm profits: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae).

Short reference:

While M. hyopneumoniae, the microorganism that causes mycoplasmal (or enzootic) pneumonia in pigs, may be common and widespread, it’s not always easy to identify its role in causing actual disease. Other disease-causing organisms produce similar clinical signs and often are present with M. hyopneumoniae.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae increases a pig’s susceptibility to other infections, including Pasteurella multocida, PRRS virus, PCV2 and swine infl uenza virus (SIV). Combination infections can produce severe respiratory disease that increases treatment costs and decreases feed consumption and average daily weight gain. To determine if a pig’s respiratory disease is actually caused by M. hyopneumoniae, several factors must be considered .

M. hyo — common in the pig farms pathogen that is difficult to identify.

For a proper diagnosis, a producer should seek a veterinarian’s expertise to evaluate laboratory test results in conjunction with clinical signs and lung lesion examination. Such a multi-faceted approach and analysis will reduce risk of misdiagnosis and save the producer time and money.

Clinical signs are suggestive, but not specifically diagnostic. As with any disease, common clinical signs that indicate mycoplasmal pneumonia may be seen by a pork producer and farm employees. The primary sign of simple, uncomplicated M. hyopneumoniae infection is a chronic, dry, nonproductive cough that appears as early as seven to 14 days after infection. Unfortunately, coughing is also a common clinical sign associated with many other swine diseases.

1. How to diagnose a disease?

2. How to detect the disease by postmortem examination?

3. What methods of disease diagnostic exist?

4. What tests can detect Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae?

5. Why is the sow farm considered the spreader of the most pathogens?

6. How can the spread of the pathogen be stopped?

You can find answers for these and other questions in the full version of the article in the magazine «Profitable Pig Production» № 2 (14), 2013.