Leptospirosis in pigs: the effectiveness of streptomycin in stopping leptospiruria

Authors: Hodges RT, Thomson J, Townsend KG
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 27, Issue 6, pp 124-126, Jun 1979
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Pig, Production animal
Subject Terms: Animal remedies/veterinary medicines, Antibiotics, Treatment/therapy, Bacterial, Zoonosis, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Urinary system/urology, Public health
Article class: Scientific Article

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Abstract: A trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of a single intramuscular injection of 25mg per kg of streptomycin in stopping leptospiruria in growing pigs exposed to a natural infection. The investigation involved 54 pigs, 10-12 weeks old, that were free of serological evidence of infection with serotypes pomona or tarassovi at the start of the trial. The animals were kept in pens in a finishing house through which flowed effluent from other pens containing infected pigs. Urine samples were collected from each pig three times weekly until it was slaughtered for bacon at 20-24 weeks old. Leptospiruria was first detected between 16 and 74 days after exposure. Twenty-one of 37 pigs which showed leptospiruria were injected with streptomycin. Leptospirae were detected in 11 of 185 (5.9%) subsequent urine samples from these 21 treated animals and serotype pomona was cultured from the kidney of 1 of the 10 animals that were examined from this group at slaughter. Following the initial detection of leptospiruria in the 16 untreated pigs, 179 of 211 (84.8%) subsequent urine samples contained leptospirae, which were also cultured from the kidneys of 4 out of 11 of these animals.

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