Swine dysentery: pathogen and symptoms, treatment and prevention

Ever since humans started raising pigs, pigs have been plagued by an insidious disease called dysentery. This disease still poses a serious economic threat to many countries of the world. Dysentery that affects pigs is dangerous not only for them, but also for other animals living on the farm, in particular, for cattle. By what signs can dysentery be traced and can domestic pigs be cured of this disease?

Danger of disease for pigs

Experts have not yet studied the mechanism of dysentery in pigs in detail.Often the disease occurs in young individuals against the background of a violation of the digestive tract. As a result, the bactericidal effect of gastric juice in the stomach of the animal decreases and the secretory function is disturbed. The intestinal microflora takes on the character of a pathogenic agent and invades the mucosa.

Gradually, the mucous membrane of the large intestine becomes inflamed and clogged, swelling and hyperemia appear. Pepsin activity decreases, hydrochloric acid gradually leaves the gastrointestinal tract. The concentration of acetic and lactic acids, on the contrary, increases, the intestinal mucosa is irritated. As a result, the pig has diarrhea, which gradually leads to intoxication of the animal's body and often leads to death.

Pathogen

Pigs bleat dysentery due to anaerobic spirochetes. This pathogenic bacterium infects the intestinal mucosa of the animal. The disease can spread in several ways:

from recovered individuals;
as a result of feeding animals with low-quality feed;
when drinking dirty drinking water;
as a result of the accumulation of a large number of piglets in small pens;
in violation of sanitary standards;
through the manure of infected animals.

Often, a disease on a farm breaks out after the acquisition of new individuals. Therefore, newly purchased animals are kept in quarantine for several weeks. During this period, it becomes clear whether the pet is sick with dysentery or not. Most often, piglets suffer from this disease. Spirochete can be transmitted through the milk of an ill sow. Since the immunity of young individuals is not yet sufficiently developed, dysentery of piglets most often ends in failure.

Recovered individuals are carriers of the virus for 5 months and must be isolated from other pets.

Forms and symptoms of the disease

There are several forms of dysentery:

Spicy. Pathology most often affects piglets that were taken away from their mother a few weeks ago. A sick animal usually dies 4-5 days after the onset of the disease.
Subacute. This form is characterized by erased symptoms and lag of the individual in growth. Subacute dysentery most often affects young animals in the first month of supplementary feeding.
Chronic. Periods of remission alternate with exacerbations.

The main symptom of dysentery is profuse diarrhea. At the very beginning of the disease, the pig "walks big" with water. Gradually, the discharge becomes mucous, blood streaks appear in them. Further, the feces become coffee-brown, and blacken immediately before the death of the pig.

In addition to diarrhea, the animal may show the following signs:

increase in temperature (short-term) to 41 C°;
rapid and shallow breathing;
cloudy eyes;
exhaustion.

Diagnostic Methods

Dysentery is diagnosed on the basis of a number of studies: bacteriological, histological, pathological, and microscopy. In bacteriological studies, the contents of the large intestine and mucous membrane are studied. The diagnosis is considered established if a high concentration of anaerobic spirochetes is found in the smear. Dysentery must be differentiated from salmonellosis, feed toxicosis, plague, and anaerobic enterotoxemia.

How to cure a pig of dysentery

A farm where pigs get sick with dysentery should be restricted. Many countries prohibit the removal of sick individuals from the farm. They are also not used in divorce. Sick animals are urgently separated from he althy ones.The same is done with pigs that have been in contact with sick relatives.

Dysentery is treated with the following drugs:

Trichopolum;
Nifulin;
Osarsol;
Vetdipasthenes.
Thylan;

Popular drug for the treatment of swine dysentery - Osarsol. The agent is introduced into complementary foods for pigs or diluted in a soda solution in a ratio of 10 g of soda per 100 ml of water. The exact dosage depends on the age of the animals. This treatment continues twice a day for three days. At the same time, pigs cannot be fed, but you can drink without restrictions. Therapy continues until complete recovery.

Important! The meat of an animal that died of dysentery should not be eaten. It is desirable to burn the carcasses. Individuals that have been ill are sent for slaughter in order to reduce the risk of infecting other animals.After butchering, the meat of such animals needs special heat treatment.

Prevention

Prevention of swine dysentery is easier than cure. To prevent the farm from being hit by an epidemic of this disease, you must adhere to the mandatory rules:

give Tilan and Osarsol preparations to animals for prophylactic purposes every 3 months;
feeding animals with high quality food;
every month whitewash the pen where the pigs live;
comply with sanitary standards for animals: monitor the temperature and humidity in the barn, clean the pens every three days;
take care of the quality of drinking water;
newly purchased animals kept separate from others for 3 weeks.