Which host factor is implicated in susceptibility to edema disease after weaning in pigs?

Which host factor is implicated in susceptibility to edema disease after weaning in pigs?

• A. Loss of maternal antibodies before weaning
• B. Diet alone
• C. Loss of maternal antibodies after weaning
• D. Vaccination status

Answer: (C)

Susceptibility is driven by the piglet’s immune status during the weaning transition. Maternal antibodies received through colostrum provide protection against Shiga toxin–producing E. coli. After weaning, these passively acquired antibodies decline rapidly, so piglets lose that protective shield just as exposure to edema disease–causing E. coli increases. This waning of maternal immunity after weaning makes piglets particularly vulnerable to the toxin-mediated vascular damage that leads to edema. While diet changes and stress at weaning can influence overall risk, the key host factor in this scenario is the loss of maternal antibodies after weaning.

Susceptibility is driven by the piglet’s immune status during the weaning transition. Maternal antibodies received through colostrum provide protection against Shiga toxin–producing E. coli. After weaning, these passively acquired antibodies decline rapidly, so piglets lose that protective shield just as exposure to edema disease–causing E. coli increases. This waning of maternal immunity after weaning makes piglets particularly vulnerable to the toxin-mediated vascular damage that leads to edema. While diet changes and stress at weaning can influence overall risk, the key host factor in this scenario is the loss of maternal antibodies after weaning.