Purulent Meningitis in a Piglet caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 2

Abstract

From January to February in 1988 on a farm in Yamaguchi Prefecture, twelve piglets, one to two months old, showed nervous signs accompanied with fever and died. Furthermore in March on this farm, four piglets showed the same signs. Necropsy of one of diseased piglets revealed hemorrhage in meninges of the cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla oblongata, and remarkable hyperaemia with pleuritis. Many noduler lesions, white or grayish white in color, were also observed in the lungs.
In histopathological examinations, the purulent meningitis in various parts of the brain, and edema and necrosis of the lungs were noticed.
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 2 was isolated in pure culture from the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys of this diseased piglet.
From these results, the present case was diagnosed as purulent meningitis caused by A. pleuropneumoniae serovar 2. This case seems to be very rare in Japan.