Abstract
Proliferative hemorrhagic enteritis (PHE) has been prevailing on two collective hog farms and a comprehensive farm in Okayama Prefecture since May, 1978, when 2 pigs died suddenly of it. Up to May, 1980, 309 hogs and young breeding pigs were affected. Of them, 112 died an acute death and the others recovered after treatment with several antibiotics or were condemned.
Characteristic findings were extreme anemia, stinking tar-like feces, and acute or peracute death after a course of 1-2 days. Autopsy revealed plicate mucosal thickening of the ileum and deposition of bloody feces. Histologically, adenomatous proliferation of the mucosal epithelium led to the formation of irregular crypts and marked thickening of the mucosa. A number of Campylobacter organisms were found in the cytoplasm of hyperplastic epithelial cells. An attempt was made to isolate these organism by culture, but in vain.
