Declined Lawsonia intracellularis in feces by phytogenic feed additive supplementation in fattening pigs in different herds system

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to determine the efficacy of phytogenic feed additives on the number of L. intracellularis in feces and incidence of diarrhea in fattening pigs in different herds system. The present study was carried out in two commercial swine farms located in the northern (Herd A) and western (Herd B) parts of Thailand. In total, 80 fattening pigs (12-week-olds) were randomly allocated into two groups, including the Control group (n=40) and the Treatment group (n=40). The pigs in each group were fed with a conventional diet (Control) and the same diet supplemented with 2 kg/ton of phytogenic feed additive for 14 days (Treatment). A total of 240 individual feces samples from 80 pigs. The feces samples were collected and were scored on days 0, 7, and 14 after supplementation and were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. No effect of phytogenic feed additive on the number of DNA was found in Herd A. In Herd B, the number of DNA in the Treatment group at day 14 (0.8 copies/μl) after supplementation in fattening pigs was lower than at day 0 (5.5 copies/μl; p = 0.023) and had a tendency lower than at day 7 (1.4 copies/μl; p = 0.131). In Herd A, the average pig fecal consistency in the Treatment group was significantly lower as compared to the Control group on day 7 (0.50 versus 1.20; p < 0.001) and was a tendency lower than the Control group on day 14 (0.40 versus 0.07; p = 0.057) after supplementation. The incidence of diarrhea in the Treatment group was lower than in the Control group on day 7 (45.0% Versus 90.0%; p = 0.018) and day 14 (40.0% versus 70.0%; p = 0.057) in Herd A. The pigs in the Treatment group at day 0 (100.0%) had a higher incidence of diarrhea than at day 7 (45.0%, p < 0.001) and 14 (40.0%, p < 0.001) after supplementation of phytogenic feed additive in Herd A and at day 7 (95.0%, p = 0.007) and 14 (80.0%, p = 0.089) after supplementation in Herd B. Therefore, phytogenic feed additives may be applied to control L. intracellularis in commercial swine farms.