Enterohaemorrhagic Syndrome (EHS) occurs when the pig’s bowel is displaced or twisted. This interrupts the blood supply; the blood is trapped in the intestines. As a result, the intestine dies quickly and turns dark. This causes a lot of pain. The animals gasp in pain, which can be mistaken for shortness of breath.
The dying intestinal wall allows bacteria and toxins to migrate out of the intestine, which leads to shock and circulatory failure. In individual cases the agony can be observed: The pigs show a staggering gait, strained breathing, a bloated stomach and rarely slight (bloody) diarrhea. Treatment comes too late here.
Most of the time, however, the animals show no signs of disease. Dead pigs swell very quickly and the mucous membranes are very pale. Gas-filled loops of intestine rise and twist. This prevents the gas from escaping from the bowel. The abdomen continues to inflate, the pressure on the diaphragm increases and the animals find it difficult to breathe.
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