Helminth infections of swine regain clinical and economic importance due to the increasing demand for pork from extensive husbandry. Infections with Trichuris suis in pigs can lead to wasting and diarrhoea. This was demonstrated by a case of clinical trichurosis on a conventional fattening farm, where pigs were kept on pasture. While all pre-fattening pigs, which had not been on the pasture yet, had a good body condition and firm faeces, diarrhoea and poor body condition were observed in approximately half of the fattening pigs kept on pasture. Rectally collected faecal samples from all animals were investigated using faecal flotation. High numbers of T. suis eggs were detected in 17 out of 32 faecal samples, while all samples from pre-fattening pigs were negative. The highest number of eggs per gram of faeces was 778,000. Two out of three environmental samples were also positive for T. suis in faecal flotation. This case demonstrates that T. suis must be considered as an enteropathogen in pigs kept on pasture, as favourable environmental conditions, and the lack of removal of faeces from a pasture can lead to the accumulation of large numbers of infective eggs in the pigs' surroundings.
Keywords: Trichuris suis; diarrhoea; extensive husbandry; fattening pigs; helminths; pasture; wasting.