Dietary Intervention to Reduce E. coli Infectious Diarrhea in Young Pigs

Abstract

Postweaning piglets are immediately imposed to remarkable environmental and psychosocial stressors, which adversely affect their intestinal development and health and predispose them to diarrhea. The ratio of postweaning mortality is 6-10% and may rise up to 20% with poor management strategies. Diarrhea per se accounts for 20-30% of cases of mortality in weanling pigs. E. coli postweaning diarrhea is one of the most important causes of postweaning diarrhea in pigs. This diarrhea is responsible for huge economic losses due to high mortality and morbidity, weight loss, and cost of medication. Burgeoning evidence suggested feed-based intervention are one of the promising measures to prevent postweaning diarrhea and to enhance overall health of weaned pigs. Although the exact protective mechanisms may vary and are still not completely understood, a number of feed ingredients or feed additives are marketed to assist in boosting intestinal immunity and regulating gut microbiota. The promising results have been demonstrated in several nutrients (i.e., functional amino acids, organic acids, micro minerals, nondigestible carbohydrates, and antimicrobial peptides), non-nutrients (i.e., phytochemicals and probiotics), and many other feed additives. The efficiencies of each candidate may differ based on their exact modes of action, the basal diet formulation, and the health status of pigs.

Effects of dietary supplementation of Pediococcus pentosaceus strains from kimchi in weaned piglet challenged with Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica

“…Weaning stress can cause poor growth performance, with diarrhea being a common issue in weaned piglets [18,19]. In our experiment, inoculation with E. coli and SE to induce weaning stress resulted in poor growth performance and diarrhea, respectively.…”

Detection of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Clostridia in the Aetiology of Neonatal Piglet Diarrhoea: Important Factors for Their Prevention

“…Multidrug resistance genes among ESBL-producing E. coli strains retrieved from feces of pigs were reported, underlining the issue of antimicrobial resistance [ 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Various non-antibiotic strategies, including feed additives such as acidifiers or probiotics, have been proposed in swine herd health management strategies as other optional prophylactic or therapeutic protocols [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ]. Probiotic supplementation in feed is beneficial for improving the immune response and growth performance, maintaining gut health, and controlling enteric infections due to its antimicrobial effects on several enteric pathogens by stimulating the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gut [ 54 , 55 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ].…”

“…Various non-antibiotic strategies, including feed additives such as acidifiers or probiotics, have been proposed in swine herd health management strategies as other optional prophylactic or therapeutic protocols [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ]. Probiotic supplementation in feed is beneficial for improving the immune response and growth performance, maintaining gut health, and controlling enteric infections due to its antimicrobial effects on several enteric pathogens by stimulating the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gut [ 54 , 55 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 ]. Previous studies have reported that dietary acidifiers provide prophylactic effects such as antibiotics do, mainly by limiting the growth of enteric pathogens and simultaneously providing the opportunity for the proliferation of beneficial organisms [ 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 69 , 70 , 71 ].…”