[The influence of previous infections on the development of experimental swine pleuropneumonia in specific pathogen free pigs].

This study was designed to determine in six-week old specific pathogen free pigs, the effect of previous experimental exposure to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and transmissible gastroenteritis virus on a challenge infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Pigs exposed simultaneously to M. hyopneumoniae and transmissible gastroenteritis virus appeared more resistant to challenge (one week later) with A. pleuropneumoniae. Four pigs out of a group of ten died following the challenge infection, compared to all ten pigs in the control group not submitted to previous infections. Clinical signs and lesions were also less severe in the previously infected group than in the control group. Pigs submitted to a single previous infection with M. hyopneumoniae only appeared to be less resistant to the challenge infection than pigs submitted to the dual previous infection with M. hyopneumoniae and the transmissible gastroenteritis virus. A correlation was found between the resistance of pigs to the challenge infection and their serum gammaglobulin levels.