What are the causes of Clostridium perfringens?

Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium commonly found in soil and manure. Insufficient hygiene increases the risk of infection.

How do I recognise Clostridium perfringens in pigs?

In pigs, symptoms can be severe, particularly in young piglets: • Severe diarrhea: Often bloody or watery. • Rapid dehydration: Can develop quickly. • Weakness: Reduced activity levels. • Sudden weight loss: Especially noticeable in piglets. • Abdominal pain: Reluctance to move or a hunched posture. In severe cases, piglets may deteriorate rapidly, with sudden fatalities.

How do I treat a pig with Clostridium perfringens?

Ensure that ventilation is well regulated. In addition, you can use MS GoldFeed Prestige during an outbreak to minimize dropout.

Clostridium - Pigs

Protect your pig farm against Clostridium perfringens

The bacteria Clostridium perfringens usually hits piglets hardest when they are 1 to 5 days old.

When the Type C strain infects a piglet's small intestine, it causes a severe, bloody enteritis that is highly fatal. The Type A strain leads to fewer deaths, but it still takes a heavy toll on the pigs' growth and overall performance.

Measures you can take today to protect the piglets

The 6 steps to prevent clostridium

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What causes Clostridium perfringens?

Clostridium perfringens is a spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that survives without oxygen. When it comes to your herd, there are two main illnesses tied to this bug:

Type C (CptC): This strain hits newborns and suckling pigs hard. It leads to a high death rate, often showing up as sudden deaths, bloody scours (diarrhea), or severe gut damage.
Type A (CptA): This strain also causes scours in young piglets, but the impact is generally milder. Fewer pigs will get sick, and the death rate is much lower.

How does Clostridium perfringens spread?

This bacteria usually spreads when pigs swallow infected manure (the fecal-oral route) or have direct contact with sick animals. It can also move indirectly around your farm through:

Contaminated feed and water
Environmental exposure
Contaminated manure
Rats, mice and insects

The 6 steps to prevent clostridium

What are the symptoms of Clostridium perfringens?

The symptoms caused by C. perfringens will look different depending on whether you are dealing with Type A or Type C. How sick the pigs get also comes down to how much bacteria they swallowed, how aggressive the strain is, and how much protection they received from the sow's colostrum. When a Type C outbreak happens, it usually strikes fast and hard, mostly affecting piglets that are less than a week old.

Hemorrhagic enteritis (type C)
Enteritis (type A)
Bloody diarrhea (type C)
Diarrhea, pasty, yellow (type A)
Reduced feed intake (type A & C)
Abdominal pain (type A & C)
Dehydration (type A & C)
Sudden Death (type C)

How do you protect your pigs from Clostridium perfringens?

Keeping Clostridium perfringens Type A and C out of your barn takes a solid game plan. You can lower the risk of infection by combining the right vaccines with strict biosecurity, thorough barn hygiene, and good everyday herd management. It is always a good idea to work with your herd vet and a biosecurity specialist to build a prevention plan that fits the specific needs of your farm.

The 6 steps to prevent clostridium in pigs

By taking these measures seriously and applying them consistently, you can maximize the safety of your pig farm and significantly reduce the chances of clostridium entering and spreading.

Step 1

Create visitor hygiene guidelines

Each person that enters the farm needs to thoroughly shower and wash to reduce pathogen pressure on the animals and prevent the introduction of clostridium. How to set-up a hygiene protocol for visitors

Step 2

Contain the treat: set-up a colour system

Dedicated colours for tools, equipment and clothing can help to prevent cross contamination between farms, locations or barns. How to set-up a colour system

Step 3

Start cleaning like a pro

A strict cleaning and disinfecting protocol for the living environment and all vehicles, tools and equipment that enters the farm. A strict protocol helps prevent the introduction and spread of clostridium. How to clean and disinfect a pig's barn

Step 4

Clean your water systems

We all know that healthy pigs make for happy farmers, and one of the key ingredients for success is clean, high-quality drinking water. Hydrated pigs have a strengthened immune system, better equipped to ward off disease. Clean water protects the health of your pigs, resulting in fewer vet visits and less worry.How to achieve a clean water supply

Step 5

Creating a dry living environment

Bacteria need moisture to thrive. Maintaining a dry living environment helps to control the spread of bacteria and reduce pathogen pressure on the animals. How to create a dry living environment

Prevent pests from entering your pig farm

Pests are vectors spreading disease. Controlling rats, mice, flies and other vectors at the farm is crucial to prevent the introduction and spread of disease. Learn more about effective pest control

Experts recommend

MS TopFoam Power is a very strong foam cleaner with >60 min contact time and the most powerful cleaning capabilities of the TopFoam range. This foam will effectively remove even the most tenacious dirt, creating a clean surface which is optimal for disinfection.

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