The effect of dietary spray-dried porcine plasma on clinical response in weaned piglets challenged with a pathogenic Escherichia coli

Weaned piglets were used to determine the effect of dietary spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) on the clinical response to an infection with a pathogenic Escherichia coli ( E. coli) O139:K82 LT −. The piglets were divided into two groups of 10 animals each. One group was fed the control diet containing soybean(meal) plus whey powder. The test piglets were fed a diet with 8% SDPP. Piglets were orally infected with the challenge strain on days 6 and 7 after weaning. The experimental period lasted 14 days after which the piglets were euthanised and necropsied. Faecal samples were collected daily for bacteriological analysis. Segments of jejunum, caecum and rectum were removed for bacteriological analysis post mortem. Feed intake and weight gain, faecal and condition scores and body temperature were measured daily. In the control and SDPP groups, 6 and 7 piglets died from diarrhoea. The average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG) were substantially higher in the SDPP group than in the control group. SDPP-fed piglets generally had a more favourable faecal score and a healthier appearance than did the control piglets. The faecal excretion of E. coli O139:K82 was similar for control and test piglets. There were no diet effects on the E. coli O139:K82 counts at different sites of the intestine. In this experiment, the inclusion of SDPP at an economically acceptable percentage in the diet could not prevent piglet losses due to challenge with a pathogenic E. coli, but improvements of ADG, ADFI and faecal and condition scores were achieved.