Research progress in immune response against and methods for the diagnosis of Lawsonia intracellularis in pigs

Abstract:

Lawsonia intracellularis (LI), an intracellular pathogen, is a common cause of lethargy, poor appetite, hemorrhagic diarrhea, or sudden death of pigs, posing a threat to pig industry. LI induces a distinct immune response with unique immune patterns in pig intestine. Diagnosis of this intracellular species is dependent on the characteristics of immune response in animals at different stages of infection. In this review, we described the characteristics of immune response upon LI infection and the detection methods, in an attempt to provide a reference for the development of new diagnosis techniques and prevention and control of related diseases.