142 



Pyobacillosis of Hogs. 



profuse muco-purulent nasal discharge, a complication of inflammations 

 of the joints and abscesses in various parts of the body as a result of 

 associated infection with the bac. pyogenes. 



In such cases the autopsy reveals a pronounced purulent bronchitis, 

 and numerous small greenish suppurative foci which are in the lung 

 tissue enclosed in connective tissue capsules. Sometimes nodules of 

 the size of a hen's egg may be present which consist of a purulent mass, 

 at times dry at the periphery, softened towards the center, or which 

 may be entirely purulent. The contents of the nodules may easily 

 be removed from the connective tissue capsule. 



The intestines, especially the large intestines, frequently manifest 

 a catarrhal purulent inflammation; in the submucous tissue there may 

 frequently be found nodules in size from a hazel to a walnut, with 

 dense fibrous walls and greenish caseous contents. The nodules cause 

 the intestinal wall and the mucosa to bulge, and over them the serous 

 membrane frequently shows inflammatory changes. 



Occasionally generalization of the pathological process may occur 

 in which case the various tissues may become affected more or less 

 frequently in the order given; muscles, joints, tendon sheaths, sub- 

 cutaneous fat, liver, spleen, lymph glands, bones, more rarely the 



kidneys may contain greenish-yellow sup- 

 purative foci. The exudates are usually 

 thin, mucous, of whitish-yellow or reddish- 

 gray color, frequently with a greenish hue. 

 The bac. pyogenes suis which is recog- 

 nized by Grips, Glage & Nieberle as at 

 least the principal cause of these suppura- 

 tive processes, is present in the bronchial 

 secretion (see Pig. 31), in the exudate of 

 the serous cavities and in the suppurative 

 foci. It is usually associated with other 

 bacteria and among these also with Loffler's 

 bipolar bacillus, more rarely it may be 

 present in great quantities in pure cultures 

 (especially in greenish pus). It is also 

 found in great numbers in the intestinal 

 contents, while in older suppurative foci 

 the bacilli are present only in small num- 

 bers, or may be entirely absent. 



According to the investigations of Glage, Berger and Holth the bacillus is 

 identical with the organism described by Poels (1897) as the cause of arthritis in 

 calves and known as the polyarthritis bacillus as well as with the bac. pyogenes 

 bovis which was found by Kiinnemann in abcesses of cattle (see page 144). Dunkel 

 considers it identical with the bac. pseudotuberculosis ovis (see that disease). 



In hogs Ptitz found the organism in inflamed tissues and in the secretion of 

 the bronchi in 36% of the cases; in necrotic foci of the lungs in 50%; in softened 

 purulent nodules in 100% of the cases. Preisz demonstrated the organism in 16 

 out of 77 cases of acute swine plague pneumonia. Olt on the other hand proved 

 that the bacillus is present in great numbers in the pale gray mushy plugs in the 

 tonsils of healthy hogs. 



The bacillus represents delicate non-motile and sporeless rods, 

 which in the exudate resemble the erysipelas bacillus (Pig. 31), but 

 in cultures appear somewhat shorter and sometimes club shaped. It 

 stains with the basic anilin dyes, and especially well with carbbi 

 fuchsin which stains it uniformly and intensely, after a sufSciently 

 long action of Lugol's solution; it may also be stained by Gram. 



Fig. 31. Bacillus pyogenes suis 

 Grips. Bronchial mucus from 

 a hog. Carbol-fuchsin staining; 

 and subsequent washing with 

 1% acetic acid. 



