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Hemolytic Disease in Pigs Caused by Anti-B_a¹

Iowa State University, Ames

Abstract

A sow which had given birth to three successive litters of pigs affected with hemolytic anemia, and from which anti-B_a had been obtained, was mated with a heterozygous B_a positive boar. Two successive litters were obtained from these parents. The sow received injections of the boar's blood approximately 3 weeks before each farrowing. Results obtained from the first litter are described in detail. Seven vigorous and seemingly healthy pigs were born. Three were B_a positive and four B_a negative. The three B_a positive pigs became anemic, and two of these developed icterus. The one which did not become icteric died 20 hours after starting to nurse, another died between 42 and 48 hours after starting to nurse, and one pig recovered. The latter pig and the four B_a negative pigs continued in good health and were slaughtered when they were 4 months old.

Apart from anti-A, which is not responsible for hemolytic disease in pigs, only anti-B_a was detected in the sow's serum and colostrum. An antibody (by deduction, anti-B_a) was detected on the red cells from the three B_a positive pigs and in serum from the four B_a negative pigs. The hematological findings and the observation of hemoglobin-stained serum obtained from the three affected pigs confirm the clinical evidence of accelerated red cell destruction in these pigs.

The conditions affecting the frequency with which specific blood group antibodies might be encountered in field cases of the disease are discussed.

¹ Journal Paper No. J-4496 of the Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa, Project No. 1424. The work described in this paper was supported by Contract AT(11-1)-7O7 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D. C.

² K. S. Preston and F. C. Neal are acknowledged for calling our attention to a case of hemolytic disease in pigs which led to this study. Thanks are due to R. B. Talbot for valuable help in the hematological studies.