SWINE DIARRHEA: STUDY OF THE ETIOLOGY, VIRULENCE AND RESISTANCE TO ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS OF AGENTS ISOLATED IN PIGLETS IN THE REGION OF RIBEIR

Abstract

Two hundred and forty eight fecal samples were collected from one- to 60-day old pigs in farms of the region of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil. Ten percent of the samples were from clinically healthy animals and the others were from diarrheic animals. The aim of this study was to characterize the bacteria isolated from the animals and to determine the antimicrobial resistance of isolated Salmonella sp and enterotoxigenic E. coli strains. From the two hundred and twentythree fecal samples from diarrheic piglets were isolated: 131 E. coli strains, 71 (32.7%) non-enterotoxigenic and 60 (27.7%) enterotoxigenic, 20 (9.2%) Enterobacter cloacae, 13 (6.0%) Klebsiella pneumoniae, 13 (6.0%)Citrobacter freundii, 13 (6.0%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 10(4.6%) Providencia stuartti, 8 (3.7%) Klebsiella oxytoca, 6(2.8%) Salmonella sp and 3 (1.3%) Proteus vulgaris. Among 25 fecal samples from non-diarrheic animals only Salmonella sp was not observed. The strains of Salmonella and E. coli showed a high level of resistance against novobiocin, lincomycin and penicillin G. KEY WORDS: Pig. Diarrhea. Antimicrobial resistance. Escherichia coli. Salmonella.