Western College of Veterinary Medicine explores new strategies to combat swine dysentery

Researchers at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are investigating alternatives to antibiotics, including diet modifications and probiotics, to control the bacterial disease in pigs and reduce its economic impact.

Swine dysentery remains one of the most frustrating bacterial diseases in pig production because it is both hard to eliminate and costly to ignore. Researchers at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are now exploring ways to reduce reliance on antibiotics and make the gut environment less hospitable to Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, the spirochaete behind the classic mucohaemorrhagic colitis.

Ygor de Paula, a veterinarian and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Saskatchewan, says the disease is particularly damaging because it thrives only under the right intestinal conditions and then rapidly inflames the large bowel. In practice, affected pigs eat less, lose weight, lie down more and develop the diarrhoea that progresses from watery to bloody and mucous-filled.

For clinicians, the main message is still prevention. De Paula says the first line of defence is rigorous cleaning and disinfection, tighter biosecurity and close monitoring, with targeted antimicrobial therapy used to control outbreaks. That approach remains important in North America, where no commercial vaccine is available.

Published evidence suggests eradication can be economically worthwhile. One study of a 270-sow herd found that investment in medication, cleaning and disinfection was recovered within 12 months through better feed efficiency and lower veterinary costs. Other reviews note that control sometimes requires depopulation and repopulation, especially where infection persists.

WCVM’s work is focusing on alternatives such as anti-inflammatory compounds, diet changes and probiotics, offering a possible path towards better long-term control for producers and veterinarians alike.

Image Source: Western University of Veterinary Medicine