Causative agent 
- Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae


Differnetial diagnosis 
- Swine fever, Toxoplasmosis, Streptococcosis and
  Septicemic salmonellosis


1. History taking 
- High morbidity and high mortality in non-
  vaccinated pigs
- Feces or oronasal secretion are important source
  of infection
- In septicemic case, death results within 1-7 days



2. Clinical examination 
- Acute or septicemia: high fever (41-45°C) sudden
  death, acute arthritis and abortion in pregnant
  sow
- Skin form : erythema to purplish, discoloration of
  skin especially at the ear snout, abdomen, lateral
  and dorsal parts, characterized by square,
  rhomboidal or diamond shaped
- Chronic form : polyarthritis, become lame and lose
  condition


3. Necropsy 
- Acute : rhomboidal urticarial lesion (diamon-skin
  lesion), petichial hemorrhage in pericardium of
  heart and congestion of kidney, catarrhal
  hemorrhage, hemorrhagic gastritis, congestion of
  liver and spleen, hemorrhage and swelling of
  lymph nodes
- Chronic : enlargement of joint, vegetative
  cauliflower proliferation on the heart valve



4. Histopathological obersvation 
Acute :
- Hyperplastic lymphadenitis
- Haemorrhagic nephritis
- Necrosis of renal tubule
- Perivascular accumulation of mononuclear cell in
  heart, kidney, lung and liver
Chronic :
- Non-suppurative proliferative arthritis in limb and
  intervertebral joints
- Inflammatory synovitis
- Granulation tissue on vegetative growths of heart
  valve

5. Microscopic examination 
- Blood or tissue smear and staining : Gram positive
  slender or short rod, non spore forming



6. Experimental animal inoculation 
- Suspend blood or visceral organs in broth, smear
  one loop of the suspension on mouse ear lobe or
  inject 0.1-0.2 ml of the suspension IP into 1-2
  mice, isolate bactiria from visceral organs of dead
  mice



7. Bacterial isolation 
Specimen : heart, liver, spleen, lung, brain,
                   kidney affected joint
Medium : blood agar or selective agar
- Colony : small, transparent, smooth and round,
  alpha hemolysis

8. Serotyping 
- ACID test : 23 serovars



Control 
- Good sanitation
- Effective disinfection : benzanium chloride
  hypochlorite or quarternary ammonium
  disinfectants
- Antimicrobial therapy : penicillin
- Vaccination : bacterin or live attenuated vaccine
  antibiotic treatment should be discontinued at
  least 8 - 10 days before vaccination with live
  attenuated vaccine