Causes and symptoms of pig erysipelas, methods of treatment and prevention
At an early age, piglets are exposed to a variety of infections and viruses, which can significantly reduce the number of piglets. One of the most common diseases is swine erysipelas. To avoid difficulties, every farmer should know the precautions and nuances of prevention.
Description and danger of the disease
Erysipelas is an infectious disease that occurs in an acute form or chronically in the form of enzootic outbreaks. Individuals at the age of 3 months to a year are most at risk of infection. Outbreaks of infection are possible not only in piglets, but also among turkeys, lambs, pheasants and ducks.
The disease has been spreading since ancient times, but its manifestation was previously mistaken for other infections, including anthrax. This is because the external symptoms appear similar. Now the infection is found in Russia and a number of European countries. Erysipelas often covers large areas and causes significant economic damage to farms.
Sources of erysipelas
The source of the disease is often found in nature. Contaminated soil or animal slaughter products may contribute to the spread. The causative agent is a bacterium that can adapt to a new habitat in a short time. The microbe develops in nutrient media, transforming its properties. The peculiarities of the microbe are the ability to exist in a motionless state without forming spores and capsules. Also, the bacterium is characterized by high resistance to external influences, due to which it can remain for a long time in soil, liquid or manure.
Moreover, the virus is susceptible to heat treatment and disinfectants.
Since the surface of the earth is often a source of infection, pig erysipelas is seasonal. As a rule, outbreaks of infection appear only during warm periods of the year. After infection, clinically sick individuals become carriers of the virus, spreading microbes along with waste products. There is also a risk of disease without external penetration of the virus if, under stress, a latent infection is activated in pigs.
Forms of the disease and corresponding symptoms
Pig erysipelas occurs in different forms, each of which is characterized by certain symptoms. To determine the form of the disease by the state of the animals, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the nuances of the course of all possible forms.
Lightning fast
In practice, the lightning form is rare. The characteristic features of this form include:
- a sharp increase in body temperature;
- heart weakness;
- general depression.
With a lightning-fast course of the disease, individuals cannot be treated. The death of livestock occurs 10-12 hours after infection.
Sharp
The acute form is observed more often fulminant and is characterized by the manifestation of septicemia. Infected individuals refuse food, they begin to vomit or constipation. As a result of a weakened heart, there is a possibility of pulmonary edema, cyanosis of the abdomen, dewlap and neck. Pinkish spots may form on the skin. To start the correct treatment, you need to carry out a differential diagnosis. Otherwise, infected individuals die within a few days.
Subacute
The most common is the subacute form of erysipelas. In sows and young animals, it is manifested by the following symptoms:
- loss of appetite;
- exacerbation of thirst;
- heat;
- skin rashes;
- weakness.
The duration of the disease is 1-1.5 weeks. Under favorable conditions, recovery is possible after 2-3 days.
Chronic
The chronic form occurs with an advanced disease and is manifested by damage to internal organs. As a result of infection, large areas of the skin become red, dense and consist of necrotic crust. The duration of the disease can be several months, during which there is a gradual rejection of tissue by decay.
Pigs suffering from a chronic form of infection slow down in development and growth, therefore they are often slaughtered. To diagnose the chronic form of erysipelas, parts of the tubular bone, liver, kidneys and spleen are analyzed in laboratory conditions.
Changes in the body after death
With the rapid progression of the disease, external symptoms do not always have time to appear. In such situations, it is possible to detect the infection only after the death of the pigs. After dissection of infected individuals, it is often possible to detect multiple hemorrhages, pulmonary edema and hyperemia.
If animals die abruptly due to erysipelas, you need to transfer the corpses for examination to specialists in order to protect the remaining livestock.
Disease control methods
In the later stages, the erysipelas of pigs cannot be treated, therefore, when the infection is advanced, the pigs are sent for slaughter. To reduce herd losses, the pig owner must identify the infection early and treat it immediately.
Pharmacy products
Among the medications for erysipelas of pigs, serum is used, which, when infected, is combined with a high dose of penicillin. When treating animals with antibiotics, including bicillin and penicillin, take 10-20 thousand units per 1 kg of animal weight and dissolve the substance in the serum, adhering to the following proportions:
- 5-10 ml of serum for young animals;
- 30-60 ml for pigs weighing up to 50 kg;
- 50-75 ml for individuals weighing over 50 kg.
Only sterile solutions can be administered. They are injected intramuscularly into the area behind the ear twice a day.
Folk remedies
Folk methods allow at home to alleviate the condition of an infected animal before going to a veterinary clinic. Having noticed signs of infection, you need to disinfect the room and isolate the sick pig from the rest of the livestock.
To treat pigs, you need to dilute a bottle of vinegar essence in a bucket of water, soak a thick cloth in the solution and cover the infected animals. If the pigs have constipation, an enema is done with a soapy solution in the amount of 1-2 liters. Reddened spots on the skin of animals are sprinkled with crushed chalk and a red cloth bandage is applied.The compress gradually relieves swelling and pain. A compress of yarrow and a golden ball has a similar effect.
Is it okay to eat the meat of sick pigs?
Veterinarians do not prohibit eating the meat of pigs that have had erysipelas. To prevent the infection from creating negative consequences for a person, it is enough to first disinfect the meat by thorough heat treatment.
Despite the safety, many people do not eat the meat of sick animals, seeing how the infection manifests itself and develops. In most situations, meat products are sold to meat processing plants for processing into sausages, since the foci of diseases are absolutely invisible in them.
Preventive actions
Most often, prevention consists in the regular maintenance of animal immunity. The most effective strains are considered BP-2, resisting erysipelas and plague. If the erysipelas virus has managed to penetrate the pig farm, a set of actions must be taken. Including:
- Establish restrictions on the export and import of new pigs.
- Isolate infected pigs and go to a veterinary clinic.
- Apply the vaccine to the remaining livestock and monitor their well-being daily.
- Disinfect the room and adjacent areas, drinkers and animal care equipment.
The ban on imports and exports of products was lifted from the farm only a few weeks after the last pig recovered. During this period, the number of dead pigs and the availability of vaccinations in healthy ones are monitored. The level of cleanliness in the pen and in the areas where walking was carried out is also checked.
