Table 3.
Necropsy findings in the spiral colon of pigs inoculated with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae
| Major gross findings in spiral colon | Light microscopy of proximal spiral colon | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pig no. | Group | Day(s) post-end of diarrhoea | Maximum crypt length (μm) | Depletion of goblet cell mucusa | Excessive luminal mucus | Goblet cell hyperplasia | Exudate on mucosal surface | Mucosal ulceration | |
| 1 | 5 | None | 770 | − | + | + | − | − | |
| 2 | 1 | Excess mucus, hyperaemia, edema, thick granular luminal folds | 1210 | ++ | + | − | − | +b | |
| 3 | 0 | Semifluid ingesta | 880 | − | + | + | − | − | |
| 4 | Infected, cannulated | 3 | None | 682 | − | − | + | − | − |
| 5 | 0 | Excess mucus, hyperaemia | 990 | − | + | + | − | − | |
| 6 | 3 | Semifluid ingesta, focal confluent mucosal ulcers | 1012 | + | + | − | + | + | |
| 7 | 1 | Granular luminal folds, melaena | 759 | + | + | + | − | +b | |
| 10 | Infected, not cannulated | 1 | Excess mucus, hyperemia, edema, dull mucosa | 968 | + | + | − | + | − |
| 11 | 0 | Excess mucus, hyperaemia, edema, granular luminal folds | 990 | + | + | − | + | − | |
Seven pigs were cannulated in caecum and subjected to endoscopy at scheduled time points during the course of disease. Six pigs were sacrificed after cessation of clinical signs, and two pigs (no. 5 and 11) during disease.
a
+, in lower part of crypts only; ++, in major part of crypts.
b
Few rodshaped biopsy-related ulcers.