Presence of toxin-producing bacterial pathogens and associated risk factors in neonatal diarrhea of piglets on commercial sow farms in Vietnam

Vet World Vol.18 May-2025 Article - 20

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(5): 1288-1296

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.1288-1296

Duy Tien Do^1,2

, Tram Thi Ngoc Ngo^1,2, Huong Dieu Vu³, Nhat Minh Duong³, Sittikorn Traiyarach⁴, Danh Cong Lai⁵

, and Joaquin Miguel Escuder⁴

1. Department of Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Nong Lam University, HCMC, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

2. The Animal Biomedical Research Laboratories, Nong Lam University, HCMC, Vietnam.

3. HIPRA Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

4. HIPRA, Amer (Girona), Spain.

5. Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA.

Background and Aim: Neonatal piglet diarrhea (NPD) remains a significant challenge in the swine industry, contributing to elevated pre-weaning mortality, reduced productivity, and increased economic losses. In Vietnam, despite the growing importance of commercial pig production, comprehensive studies investigating the epidemiology of NPD and associated bacterial pathogens are lacking. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Clostridioides difficile and to identify risk factors contributing to NPD on Vietnamese sow farms.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 commercial sow farms across North, Central, and South Vietnam between August and December 2023. Structured questionnaires captured data on farm characteristics, management practices, and health interventions. Fecal samples from symptomatic piglets aged 1–14 days were pooled and analyzed using multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect virulence genes of E. coli (F4, F5, F6, LT), C. perfringens (alpha, beta, and epsilon toxins), and C. difficile (toxins A and B). Logistic and ordinal regression models were applied to assess associations between risk factors and pathogen prevalence.

Results: All farms tested positive for at least one pathogen. C. perfringens was the most prevalent (97.37%), followed by E. coli (46.49%) and C. difficile (39.47%). Co-infections involving multiple pathogens were common (64.91%), with C. perfringens consistently present in all mixed infections. Key virulence genes detected included LT (35.96%), alpha toxin (95.61%), and toxin A (20.17%). Significant risk factors included farm type, region, weaning performance, and peripartum antibiotic administration route. Notably, farms using mixed-feed antibiotics exhibited higher E. coli prevalence. Larger farms and those practicing early piglet relocation also showed increased pathogen diversity.

Conclusion: This study presents the first national-scale assessment of bacterial pathogens in NPD across Vietnamese sow farms. The findings highlight the high burden of toxin-producing bacteria, frequent co-infections, and multiple farm-level risk factors. Interventions such as targeted vaccination, optimized antibiotic use, improved weaning practices, and enhanced regional surveillance are essential for mitigating NPD impacts and improving piglet health outcomes in Vietnam.

Keywords: bacterial toxins, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, farm management, multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction, neonatal piglet diarrhea, Vietnam, risk factors.

How to cite this article: Do DT, Ngo TTN, Vu HD, Duong NM, Traiyarach S, Lai DC, and Escuder JM (2025) Presence of toxin-producing bacterial pathogens and associated risk factors in neonatal diarrhea of piglets on commercial sow farms in Vietnam, Veterinary World, 18(5): 1288-1296.

Received: 23-02-2025 Accepted: 28-04-2025 Published online: 21-05-2025

Corresponding author: Duy Tien Do and Joaquin Miguel Escuder E-mail: duy.dotien@hcmuaf.edu.vn and joaquin.miguel@hipra.com

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1288-1296

Copyright: Do, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.