Association to positivity of Lawsonia intracellularis with the clinical and pathologic expression of infection in swine from the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga (Santander, Colombia)

ABSTRACT Fragments of terminal ileum were collected from 100 pigs at slaughter from Bucaramanga Metropolitan Area (Santander, Colombia), to study the efficacy of the diagnosis of porcine proliferative enterophaty (PPE) through the technique of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCRa), employing specific sequences (primers) for L. intracellularis: 16S ARN region (270pb) and his correlation with clinic and pathological findings. All samples were processed by standard histological methods and stained with a Warthin-Starry technique. All samples were processed to determinate the association between positive PCRa results, clinical signs and necropsy findings. 56% of the 100 samples were positive for L. intracellularis through PCRa technic. Only 2% exhibited positive results through Warthin-Starry technique. A total of 31 (100) animals with anorexic symptoms were associated with positive results from PCRa (P>,05). No associations (P<0.05) were observed between diarrhea and delayed growth. No associations (P<0.05) were observed between anatomopathological and histological findings with positive PCRa.