Aujeszky's disease, also known as pseudorabies, presents with a range of severe symptoms in pigs, particularly affecting young piglets with devastating neurological signs and high mortality rates.
Key Symptoms of Aujeszky's Disease in Pigs
The clinical signs of Aujeszky's disease can vary depending on the age and immune status of the infected pig, but they are most pronounced and severe in very young animals.
Symptoms in Young Piglets
Young piglets, especially those during their first two weeks of life, are exceptionally vulnerable to Aujeszky's disease. The disease can lead to extremely high mortality rates, often reaching 100% in this age group. Affected piglets exhibit a range of severe clinical signs, primarily involving fever and significant neurological dysfunction:
- Hyperthermia: A markedly elevated body temperature, indicating a high fever.
- Severe Neurological Disorders: These are the most striking and serious symptoms in young piglets, manifesting as:
- Trembling: Involuntary shaking or tremors.
- Incoordination: Difficulty with muscle control, leading to clumsy movements.
- Ataxia: A lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements, often causing an unsteady gait.
- Nystagmus: Involuntary, rapid, and repetitive eye movements.
- Opisthotonos: A severe spasm of the muscles causing the head and heels to bend backward, with the body bowing forward. This is a sign of severe central nervous system damage.
- Severe Epileptiform-like Seizures: Convulsions resembling epileptic fits, characterized by uncontrolled muscle contractions and loss of consciousness.
These profound neurological symptoms, combined with hyperthermia, contribute to the extremely high mortality observed in young piglets infected with Aujeszky's disease.
