Scouring is a perennial problem in pigs herds and Ileitis & Colitis are 2 common forms of diarrhoea.

Ileitis (inflammation of the ileum region of the small intestine) also known as Porcine Enteropathy (PE) has been known for some decades to be a significant health and performance problem in many UK pig herds in which there can be wasting, diarrhoea and increased mortality in grower pigs. On postmortem examintion their is tyically proliferation and thickening of the lower small intestine and some areas of necrosis.

Colitis (inflammation of the large intestine) is a common disease of growing pigs characterised by sloppy "cow pat" type diarrhoea. A 2% premix (tiamulin hydrogen fumarate) called Denagard has now been approved in the UK for the in-feed treatment of both ileitis and colitis, adding to its original usage as a treatment and prevention for swine dysentery and as an aid in the control of enzootic pneumonia.

Tiamulin was first described as an effective treatment of ileitis, as long ago as 1981 by Yorkshire vet, David Jennings. After drinking water medication, the mortality decreased and the incidence of emaciated pigs disappeared. However water medication can be somewhat impractical and is expensive.
It was not until the 1990's that Gordon Lawson of Edinburgh University Veterinary School, was able to grow the causative bacteria of ileitis, Lawsonia intracellularis. This led to Steve McOrist, now of Nottingham University, testing the activity of a number of antimicrobial drugs that might be used to treat the disease. He infected pigs orally with infected cell-cultures then placed them on tiamulin medication either 2 days before infection (prevention) or seven days after infection (treatment) - the trial was terminated 21 days after infection. Tiamulin given in feed was highly effective for both the treatment and prevention of ileitis.

In a spreadsheet model using feed costs of £220/tonne and Denagard medication as 2% premix at 5kgs/tonne to give 100ppm at £19/tonne, an additional margin/pig of £3.13 is predicted for typical affected herds, making it a very economical treatment for mixed enteric infections in growing and finishing pigs. To see the full report with graphs, tables and a reference list provided by Octagon Services UK go to www.pighealth.com