©1994-2009 All
Rights Reserved. Online Journal of Veterinary Research
OJVRTM
Online Journal
of Veterinary Research©
Volume 13
(1):63-75, 2009
Intersexuality in pigs:Impact on veterinary
public health and food safety
Cornillie P1
(DVM, PhD), Mortier V2 (Lic), Verheyden K2 (MEng),
Simoens P1 (Prof, PhD, HD),
De Brabander HF2 (Prof, PhD, PhD), Vanhaecke L2 (MEng, PhD)
1Department
of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University,2Research
group Veterinary Public Health and Zoonoses,
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Lab chemical analysis,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan
133, B-9820, Belgium
Abstract
Cornillie
P, Mortier V, Verheyden K, Simoens P, De Brabander HF, Vanhaecke L, Intersexuality in pigs:Impact on veterinary public health
and food safety, Online J Vet Res 13(1):63-75, 2009. During a routine inspection on a pig farm, nortestosterone
was detected unexpectedly in faecal samples of sows. An intersexual
pig, held responsible for this finding, was slaughtered and investigated.
Macroscopic inspection revealed a mainly female reproductive tract consisting
of a normally developed caudal part including a vagina, cervix and uterus, and
on the left side a normal ovary and uterine tube. However, on the right side a hypoplastic testis and epididymis
were found together with a well-developed plexus pampiniformis-like
structure. Histologically, no spermatozoa were found
in this testis, but Leydig cells were numerous.
Chemical analysis showed the presence of 17β-nortestosterone in the urine,
fat, kidneys and testicular tissue, as well as the precursor noradrenostenedione in the urine, kidneys and testis. As intersexuality is a frequent phenomenon in pigs,
veterinarians who are responsible for veterinary public health and food safety
must be aware of this phenomenon which may interfere with the control on the
abuse of illegal growth promoters.
Key words: Nortestosterone, Endogenous
source, Hermafroditism, Intersex,
Sus scrofa