Pockenähnliche hautveränderungen beim schwein - Zwei fallberichte

In several pigs originating from two different farrowing farms in Austria, round crusts on the skin surface were observed. Clinical signs were similar in both farms and led to the suspected diagnosis of an infection with Swinepox virus (SWPV). In the first farm, crusts on the ears, face, as well as sporadically on the back, shoulder, thoracic wall and front legs were found in several piglets from one of the farrowing units. Similar lesions around the ears were also seen in some of the sows. In the second farrowing farm, crusty skin lesions were observed in approximately 15 % of the weaned piglets from a batch farrowing group. The encrustations were diffusely spread over the entire body. On the same farm, one piglet acquired similar lesions directly after birth and another piglet was born with the skin lesions. Skin samples (skin biopsies and skin swabs) from affected animals and two piglets from the first farm as well as one piglet from the second farm were sent to the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna for further diagnosis. In both cases, histopathological examination, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and electron microscopy were performed on skin samples. Also, a bacteriological investigation of the skin swabs was done to determine a possible bacterial aetiology. Despite the similarity in the appearance of the skin lesions between the two farms, an infection with SWPV could only be confirmed in the second farm. Ballooned keratinocytes containing cytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies and nucleus clearing were detected as characteristical lesions in histopathological examination. Furthermore, specific genomic fragments of the SWPV were detected by PCR and virus particles with the morphology of poxvirus were seen under electron microscopy. Bacteriological investigation detected Staphylococcus hyicus and Streptococcus spp., as well as an additional infection with Staphylococcus aureus in case of the first farm.