PUBLICATION 655 ISSUED MARCH, 1940 FARMERS' BULLETIN N..79 REPRINT PAMPHLET N. 54 DOMINION OF CANADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE R <& I Agriculture Canada Canadian Agriculture Library Biblitheque canadienne de I'agriculture Ottawa K1 A 0C5 HOG CHOLERA By A. E. Camern, Veterinary Directr General HEALTH OF ANIMALS DIVISION PRODUCTION SERVICE l+l Agriculture and AqriculturP <=>t n^ n * Agri-Fd Ag Omenta re SE?" A 9 ncu,ture "-.brary Canada rjsl Biblitheque canadienne de I Canada 'agriculture Ottawa K1A0C5 Published by authtity f the Hn. JAMES G. GARDINER, Minister f Agriculture Ottawa, Canada. J 3:40
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HOG CHOLERA Hg chlera is a cntagius disease f swine. It des nt appear t affect ther species f animals, and is characterized by extreme cntagiusness and a high death rate. It is knwn in every part f the wrld and is prevalent in the United States t an alarming extent, causing enrmus lsses. In Canada, the disease appears frm time t time in varius parts f the cuntry where the infectin has been brught in sme way r ther, and it is t put the wners f swine n their guard and t tell them what t d in case the disease makes its appearance that this bulletin is issued. The Cause f the Disease The cause f the disease is a germ, and withut the presence f the germ there can be n hg chlera. In ther wrds, such things as neglect, bad feeding, filthy surrundings, have n pwer t prduce hg chlera. But when the infectin is intrduced amng hgs under such cnditins, the disease spreads with great rapidity. Hw Hg Chlera is Spread The spread f the disease ccurs whenever the germs frm a diseased hg gain access t the healthy ne, and this takes place in many different ways. Actual cntact f the healthy and diseased hgs is a sure way t spread the disease, but it can be cnveyed in many ther ways. The diseased hg gives ff the germs f the disease in his urine and manure, and thus distributes infectius matter thrughut his pen, pasture, r the railway car in which he is ging t market. Healthy hgs placed in such premises after the diseased nes have been remved will cntract the disease. Anther way infectin is carried is upn the feet f men r animals, including birds. Curius neighburs, wishing t see what hg chlera lks like, may easily take the infectin hme t their wn hgs n their bts r clthing. Wandering dgs may als act as carriers, and the cmmn dmestic pigens may feed in an infected pen, and fly t sme neighburing farm carrying the infectin n their feet. Infectin may als be carried frm farm t farm in the water f a stream flwing thrugh an infected pasture r pig-pen. Garhage Feeding Anther mde f infectin has recently cme t light and is respnsible fr many utbreaks f the disease in Canada. This takes place thrugh the feeding f uncked garbage and swill cntaining scraps f prk, bacn rinds, etc., in the raw state. The explanatin f this lies in the fact that in the United States many hgs are sent t the slaughter-huse when in the early stages f hg chlera, and are killed, turned int prk and cnsumed fr fd withut hindrance. This is pssible because there is a lapse f sme days between the time when the hg becmes infected and the time when li shws symptms f it. 97580 2
This is knwn as the perid f incubatin, and hgs killed during this perid may. and ften d, Bhw n symptms t tlic meat inspectr that anything is wrng. The meat frm such hgs cntains the germs f the disease, and such pr- - salting, spicing, r smking, d nt destry these germs. Cking des ry them, and as a quantity f Tinted States prk is cnsumed in this cuntry wners are cautined nt t feed kitchen refuse t hgs unless it has first been cked. Mst f the utbreaks f hg chlera ccurring in Canada in recent years culd be traced t feeding uncked garbage. This led t special regulatins being made which prhibit the feeding f swine upn garbage r swill, raw r cked, btained elsewhere than n the premises where fed unless a licence has been btained frm the Veterinary Directr General. This licence is nly issued after the wner has signed an agreement t bil all garbage and t prevent lii^ swine having access t uncked garbage, t maintain his swine in a clean sanitary cnditin and t sell n hgs except fr immediate slaughter. Owners having up t twelve hgs may use an pen cker, but fr numbers exceeding twelve a steam cker is required. There is a great difference in the severity f the disease in varius utbreaks. Smetimes it is f a severe r virulent type and rapidly fatal. In ther utbreaks the type is mild and recvery frequent. The latter type may be cnsidered just as dangerus t the cmmunity as the frmer, as it is mre difficult t detect, and the recvered hgs are apt t spread the disease far and wide befre it is recgnized. The duratin f the disease is uncertain. A hg may die in a very few days, r may live fr sme weeks. Death des nt alw r ays fllw an attack f the disease, and a small number f hgs wuld survive an utbreak f the disease if it were thught wise t permit them t d s. Such hgs, hwever, are carriers f the disease. The germs exist in their bld, althugh prducing n active effect. The hg is immune, but can give the disease t ther hgs that are nt immune. Fr this reasn, it is bad plicy t attempt t cure the disease. The mre recveries there are, the mre chances f getting fresh utbreaks f the disease as sn as new hgs are brught int the neighburhd. It is far better t stamp ut the disease by killing all the diseased hgs and disinfecting the premises. Symptms The early symptms are nt characteristic f the disease and may nt enable a definite pinin t be frmed. The hg lses his appetite, partly r altgether, is sluggish, disinclined t mve, and if cmpelled t d s may cugh. These symptms ccurring amng hgs in the vicinity f an utbreak f hg chlera shuld be viewed with suspicin and the nearest veterinary inspectr shuld be ntified at nce. The sick hgs sn becme thin and w r eak, walking with a staggering gait, especially with the hind legs, but hgs may die in a few days, befre they have had time t lse much flesh. The skin frequently becmes red in patches, the clur turning deeper and mre purple as the disease advances. These patches usually ccur inside the legs, under the bdy, r behind the ears, but may be seen anywhere. The eyes discharge mucus secretin and the lids by it. may be gummed tgether The bwels are generally lse, and a prfuse diarrhea may ccur, althugh in sme cases there may be cnstipatin. The sick hg generally ges ff by himself, and is fund lying in a quiet crner f his pen. If cmpelled t get up, he des s unwillingly, stands with his back arched and his belly drawn up. r mves in a weak, staggering manner und may fall ver.
A sick hg seldm shws all f the symptms described abve, and in many cases it requires an expert t decide what is the matter. Usually ne r tw f the symptms are well marked, such as cughing and rapid breathing, r diarrhea and tucked-up appearance, r redness f the skin and discharge frm the eyes. The symptms have been described at sme length, s that the farmer may be n his guard if any f them are nticed, and call in the inspectr befre the infectin has time t spread. Examinatin After Death Examining a hg alter death frm hg chlera. It is ften necessary t examine a dead hg t make sure f the nature f the disease, and the fllwing appearances may be lked fr: reddening f the skin; bldy red spts n the surface f any f the internal rgans, such as lungs, heart, bwels and stmach; a peculiar speckled appearance f the kidneys when the uter cvering is stripped ff, smething like a turkey's egg; ulceratin f the inner lining f the large bwel, especially near its junctin with the small intestine; redness f the lymph glands; enlargement f the spleen; inflammatin f the lungs (pneumnia). The examinatin shuld be made by an expert if pssible, as sme f these cnditins may be caused by a secndary infectin. What Shuld be Dne when Hg Chlera is Suspected Ntify the nearest veterinary inspectr, r the Veterinary Directr General, Ottawa, withut delay. The wner r persn in charge is bund by law t d this, and, if he fails t d s, may lse his cmpensatin fr any animals slaughtered under the Act, besides being liable t a heavy penalty fr his neglect. Hw the Disease is Dealt with in Canada The veterinary inspectr, upn making sure f the existence f hg chlera, may have all the hgs n the premises slaughtered immediately. Thse actually diseased are then destryed by burning them up cmpletely, r else deeply burying them in the grund. Hgs which were nt sick but had been in cntact with the diseased nes, and are in fit cnditin fr fd, may be dressed under the supervisin f the inspectr. If a careful examinatin shws them t be healthy they are allwed t be sld as dressed prk. The inspectr assesses the value f the hgs destryed, and if the wner has nt been guilty f any neglect r infractin f the law, and carries ut the instructins f the inspectr regarding the disinfectin f the place, he will receive cmpensatin fr his lsses up t tw-thirds f the assessed value. The premises ccupied by the diseased hgs are placed in quarantine until thrughly cleaned and disinfected t the satisfactin f the inspectr, and n fresh hgs are allwed n the premises fr a perid f at least three mnths afterward. The inspectr then revisits the premises t make sure that the regulatins have been cmplied with, and, if satisfied that such is the case, will recmmend t the Minister f Agriculture the release f the premises frm quarantine. The Minister is the nly persn authrized t grant this release, and he grants it n the recmmendatin f the inspectr. In special cases where hgs are in clse prximity t the infected premises and the swine appear healthy the inspectr may inject them with anti-hgchlera serum. This serum will nt cure hg chlera but if the swine are nt already infected it may enable them t resist the disease fr a shrt perid f time. Anti-hg-chlera serum may nly be used by an inspectr acting under the special instructin f the Veterinary Directr General.
6 Hg Chlera Characteristic Attitudes
Cleansing and Disinfectin The fllwing are the OFFICIAL RULES fr the cleansing and disinfecting f premises after utbreaks f hg chlera: After infected hgs have been slaughtered the carcasses shuld either be cmpletely burned r buried at a depth f at least eight feet; if buried they shuld be cvered t a depth f several inches with quicklime. In mst cases it will be fund safest and mst prfitable t remve and burn the flrs, partitins and lining f pens previusly ccupied by infected hgs, as als any rails, lse bards r ther lumber t which such hgs had access. Pens, ther buildings and fences with which affected hgs have been in cntact, are, when pssible, t be thrughly gne ver with ht steam r biling water befre being cated with fresh lime wash, each galln f which shuld cntain a pund f carblic acid, crelin r ther germicide f equal strength. The surface sil f pens and yards shuld be remved t a depth f at least six inches and well mixed with fresh lime, which shuld als be freely applied t the surface f the newly expsed sil. Grund s treated shuld receive ver the lime a fresh cating f earth r gravel. Fields, rchards and gardens t which the diseased hgs have had access are t be plughed as sn as pssible. Every precautin shuld be taken t prevent the cnveyance f infectin frm ne place t anther by means f the clthing r shes f persns wh have been attending t r therwise dealing with diseased hgs. Visitrs shuld be discuraged during utbreaks f disease r until cleansing and disinfecting peratins as abve indicated have been cmpleted. Animals, especially dgs, are frequently the means f cnveying the disease and shuld, wherever pssible, be prevented frm entering infected premises. When, wing t severe weather r ther unavidable cause, it is fund impssible t cleanse and disinfect immediately pens r yards frmerly ccupied by diseased hgs, such pens r yards shuld be clsed up in such a manner as t prevent persns r animals btaining access theret until such cleansing and disinfectin can be prperly carried ut. Owners f diseased hgs shuld bear in mind that inspectrs cannt recmmend the release frm quarantine f any premises, the disinfectin f which has nt been carried ut in a satisfactry manner.
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' i CAL/BCA OTTAWA K1A 0C5 11 3 9073 00225680 Jjft* v Mr -:^JCJ ^ 1 4 S**- '?SC? ~X jljl* iv^ I/" ftp^ _ WfflB Hr : "?; ; ' Disinfectin f premises. Xte plughed grund, whitewashed trees and fences.
OTTAWA J. O. PATENAUDE, I.S.O. PRINTER TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 1940