Swine erysipelas: causes and signs, symptoms and treatments

At an early age, piglets are exposed to many infections and viruses that can significantly reduce the number of livestock. One common disease is swine erysipelas infection. 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 aged 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 around for a long time, but before its manifestation was mistaken for other infections, including anthrax. This is due to the fact that the external symptoms look similar. Now the infection occurs in Russia and a number of European countries. Erysipelas often cover large areas and cause significant economic damage to farmers.

Sources of erysipelas

The source of the disease is often found in nature. Distribution can be facilitated by contaminated soil or animal slaughter products. The pathogen is a bacterium that can adapt to a new habitat in a short time. The microbe develops in nutrient media, transforming its properties. The features of the microbe are the ability to exist in a stationary state, without forming spores and capsules. Also, the bacterium is characterized by high resistance to external influences, so that it can remain for a long time in soil, liquid or manure.

However, the virus is susceptible to heat treatment and disinfectants.

Since the surface of the earth often becomes a source of infection, erysipelas of pigs is seasonal. As a rule, outbreaks of infection appear only in the warm periods of the year. After infection, clinically ill individuals become carriers of the virus, spreading microbes along with waste products. There is also a risk of disease without external entry of the virus if a latent infection is activated in stressed pigs.

Forms of the disease and their corresponding symptoms

Pig erysipelas occurs in different forms, each of which is characterized by certain symptoms. To determine the form of the disease according to the condition of the animals, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the nuances of the course of all possible forms.

Lightning fast

In practice, the fulminant form is rare. The characteristic features of this form include:

• a sharp increase in body temperature;
• cardiac weakness;
• general depression.

In the event of a lightning-fast course of the disease, individuals cannot be treated. Livestock death occurs 10-12 hours after infection.

Spicy

The acute form is observed more often than fulminant and is characterized by the manifestation of septicemia. Infected individuals refuse to feed, they begin to vomit or become constipated. As a result of weakened work of the heart, there is a possibility of pulmonary edema, cyanosis of the abdomen, chest and neck. Pinkish spots may form on the skin. To start the right treatment, you need to conduct 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 manifests itself with the following symptoms:

• loss of appetite;
• exacerbation of thirst;
• high temperature;
• skin rashes;
• weakness.

Duration of illness is 1-1.5 weeks. Under favorable conditions, recovery is possible after 2-3 days.

Chronic

The chronic form occurs when the disease is advanced and is manifested by damage to internal organs. As a result of infection, large areas of the skin become red, dense and consist of a necrotic crust. The duration of the disease can be several months, during which there is a gradual rejection of tissues by decay.

Suffering from a chronic form of infection, pigs slow down in development and growth, so they are often slaughtered. To diagnose the chronic form of erysipelas, parts of the tubular bone, liver, kidneys and spleen are analyzed in the laboratory.

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, infection can only be detected after the death of the pigs. After opening infected individuals, it is often possible to detect multiple hemorrhages, pulmonary edema and hyperemia.

If animals suddenly die due to erysipelas, it is necessary to transfer the corpses for examination by specialists in order to save the remaining livestock.

Disease control methods

In the later stages, swine erysipelas cannot be treated, therefore, when the infection is advanced, pigs are sent for slaughter. To reduce herd losses, the pig farmer should detect the infection at an early stage and treat it immediately.

Pharmacy products

Among the medical preparations against swine erysipelas, serum is used, which, when infected, is combined with penicillin in a large dose. When treating animals with antibiotics, including bicillin and penicillin, 10-20 thousand units are taken per 1 kg of animal weight and the substance is dissolved in the serum, adhering to the following proportions:

• 5-10 ml baby serum;
• 30-60 ml for gilts up to 50 kg;
• 50-75 ml for individuals over 50 kg.

Only sterile solutions can be administered. They are administered intramuscularly in the area behind the ear twice a day.

Folk remedies

Folk techniques allow at home to alleviate the condition of an infected animal before contacting a veterinary clinic. Noticing 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 are constipated, make an enema with a soapy solution in the amount of 1-2 liters. Reddened places on the skin of animals are sprinkled with crushed chalk and a bandage of red cloth is applied. The compress gradually relieves swelling and pain. A compress of yarrow and a golden ball has a similar effect.

Can I eat the meat of diseased pigs?

Veterinarians do not prohibit eating the meat of pigs that have had erysipelas. So that the infection does not create negative consequences for a person, it is enough to first disinfect the meat by careful 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 foci of diseases are absolutely not noticeable in them.

Prevention measures

Most often, prevention consists in regularly maintaining the immunity of animals. The most effective strains of BP-2 are considered to resist erysipelas and plague. If the erysipelas virus managed to penetrate the pig farm, you need to carry out a set of actions. Including:

1. Set a limit on the export and import of new pigs.
2. Isolate infected pigs and contact a veterinary clinic.
3. Vaccinate the remaining livestock and monitor their well-being daily.
4. Disinfect the premises and surrounding areas, drinkers and animal care equipment.

From the farm, the ban on import and export of products is removed only a few weeks after the recovery of the last pig. During this period, the number of dead pigs and the presence of vaccination in he althy ones are monitored.The level of cleanliness in the paddock and in the areas where the paddock was carried out is also checked.

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