Seasonal Alert - Klebsiella septicaemia Outbreaks in Piglets

Updated disease information on outbreaks of septicaemia in pigs due to infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae subspecies pneumoniae (Kpp) is now available for veterinarians and pig keepers here in the Diseases section of the Resources pages. This is a seasonal alert to be aware of the possibility of Kpp outbreaks which have been diagnosed between May and September each year from 2011 to 2015 with outbreaks now confirmed on 16 commercial pig farms in England. They have mostly been in East Anglia, with one outbreak in 2014 in the Starcross region and one in 2015 in the Thirsk region. The most consistent features are rapid death (often with pigs just found dead) of preweaned pigs on outdoor units from ten-days-old to weaning in multiple litters with lesions typical of septicaemia from which Kpp is isolated in pure growths. The clinical signs of sudden death are non-specific and further investigation, including post mortem examination and culture, is essential to confirm a diagnosis of Kpp septicaemia.