DIAGNOSIS

Your veterinarian is able to help you to diagnose if Leptospirosis is a problem in your farm.

Serology (MAT) is valuable under the following circumstances:

1. To identify seroconversion in a sow with an acute infection and symptoms we recommend leaving 14-21 days between pre-and-post-serum.
2. To identify a leptospirosis infection during gestation by testing the thoracic fluid of aborted foetuses (gestation > 80 days) or for newborn piglets before colostrum intake.

Please note that:

Antibodies can be detected from 5-10 days after infection to no more than approx. 3 weeks after infection.

When taking blood samples after farrowing (result of stillborn piglets and lots of mummies), it may be too late to prove seroconversion. Afterward the antibody titre will drop relatively quickly. Many blood samples are required to map out an endemic leptospirosis infection.

For the serovars for which pigs are natural hosts (Pomona, Tarrasovi, Bratislava), the antibody titers are often low. No distinction can be made between antibodies after infection or after vaccination.