Abstract
Postmortem examination of a suckling pig with vomiting and diarrhea on a swine farm, where the similar cases were frequently detected, revealed severe gastric dilatation and loss of the acidic smell from the stomach. Furthermore, localized white thickened foci were found in the stomach. Histopathologically, prominent infiltration by neutrophils was observed in the mucous membrane of the affected stomach. Blastoconidia and pseudohyphae of a fungus were detected in the lesion by periodic acid Schiff and Grocott's stains and were positive by an immunostaining method using anti-Candida serum. Dilatation of the gastric gland and swelling or degeneration of the glandular cells were also found in the stomach other than the fungal lesion. In addition, degenerative changes were seen in the esophagus, intestines and kidneys. So far as we know, this may be the first report on swine gastric candidiasis in Japan.
