Pathology of piglet diarrhoea caused by Escherichia coli and rotavirus

The present study was conducted to investigate the pathology of piglet diarrhoea caused by E. coli and rotavirus (RV) infection. A total of 152 piglets of less than 2 months age, died with history of diarrhea, were necropsied and intestinal contents were collected for isolation of E. coli and detection of RV by Sandwich ELISA and RNA-PAGE. Pathological findings of the E. coli infection included fibrinous gastritis, haemorrhagic gastroenteritis, catarrhal enteritis; congestion and coagulative necrosis in liver and congestion and enlargement of mesenteric lymph nodes. Histopathological changes were necrosis and desquamation of villi with infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells in the mucosa and submucosa of jejunum and ileum. There were increased goblet cells in the intestinal mucosa. The lesions of RV infection included dilatation and thinning of intestinal wall with presence of watery fluid in the small intestine. The histopathological changes were villous atrophy and cryptal hyperplasia especially in jejunum and ileum. The combined infection with E. coli and RV caused haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. The histopathological changes were villous atrophy, fusion of villi, cryptal hyperplasia and infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells in the mucosa and submucosa.