Brain inflammation in Nebrodi Black pigs: anatomo-pathological and serological investigations.

Brain inflammatory lesions in pigs are frequently associated with viral infections, most of them causing systemic diseases. 214 brains of regularly slaugthered Nebrodi feral Black pigs aged from 6 to 24 months were submitted to anatomo-histopathological investigations. Serological texts were performed for detection of antibodies against Leptospira interrogans, Salmonella spp., Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Toxoplasma gondii, Aujeszky virus, PRRS, Influenza virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). 48% of the animals showed pathological lesions. The main lesions are diffuse encephalitis (10.32%), leptomeningitis (28.57%), multifocal or focal mononuclear perivascular cuffs (29.37%), arteritis (23.80%) and plexus choroiditis (7.94%). The most significant findings are arteritis of meningeal vessels, characterized by fibrinous necrosis and severe mononuclear infiltrates. The following seroprevalence were found (%): Toxoplasmosis 20.29; Enzootic pneumonia 53.46; Salmonellosis 97.03, Pseudorabies 34.51; PRRS 6; Swine influence and TBE no positive sera. Fischer’s test to evaluate the correlation between the brain lesions and the single serological test was not significative. Brain inflammatory lesions in pigs are reported, but frequently the aetiological agent is not identified. In the present cases no specific agent was demonstrated. Further investigations are in progress in order to understand the aetiopathogenesis of these inflammatory lesions and their possible correlations with the seroprevalence