The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-02-21

PIGS DYING
OF CHOLERA
Disease is at Work
Among Island
Swine.


whatever u IT, rs rapidly decimating
the herds of animals ON this and other
Islands 81 the group. IL is reported to
have caused the most havoc In Kalihi
Valley, where large numbers Of hogs
and pigs have died lately, with symp-
toms very similar To cholera.
out Of herd Of twenty-five hogs at
the Kamehameha School six hogs died
within the past few days. and losses
in other places are about in the same
proportion. though reports have been
received only at infrequent intervals.
Prof. +. G.. krauss, Of the Kamehame-
ha School, yesterday brought to the
United states experimental station the
spleen and lungs OF one of the animals
which was so afflicted, and they will
be sent by the next steamer to Wash
ington. for analysis by the Bureau of
Animal Industry. The disease here,
according to Professor Krauss' report.
H. accompanied by cough and redness
of the skin, and death generally en-
sues suddenly and without any pre-
ViOus illness. The exact nature of the
disease is not known, but is thought
TO be either hog cholera or swine
plague.
These two diseases resemble each
other very closely in their symptoms,
and ii requires an examination of the
internal organs after the animals
death, and in many cases "A microscop-
zeal study, to clearly distinguish be
tween them Hog cholera and swine
plague are not only similar in symp-
toms, but in their effect upon the bod
les of the affected animals. They re
semble each other in that both are
caused by bacteria: they must be COM
bated by measures which will prevent
exposure To these bacteria or destroy
them after they have been introduced
upon the premises, ana the sick ami
mails must be treated by remedies
which will reduce the fever, stop the
multiplication of the germs, and assist
the affected organs in resumng their
normal functions
The disease has not been altogether
unknown prior to this time in the Ha-
waiian Islands, though never before
has any attempt been made to stay its
ravages From time to time there have
been similar reports, though the disease
has never been designated by any par
ticular name. There have been but
few reports recently from people who
lost pigs by this disease. though it is
the belief of the local officials at the
experimental station that the disease
is prevalent to "a considerable extent
in the Islands at this time Reports
are consequently desired at the Capitol
building Office, in order that remedies
demic. A few bulletins dealing with
hog cholera are on hand and will be
furnished upon application.
Hog cnolera is particularly fatal to
young pigs. and often attacks them
when the old hogs escape. The older
sanimals have a greater power of re-
-sistance to the virus, and this power,
which is also known as immunity. is
increased when hogs have been expos
ed and only so slightly infected that
they have recovered after an illness OF
some duration, or without showing any
evident symptoms of the disease. In
other words, II hog cholera breaks out
among a herd of swine and is checked
and apparently eradicated by medical
treatment, the hogs that are saved are
capable of resisting the contagion on
the premises, while purchased hogs
that have not been exposed will. when
put with the others, contract the dis
ease and die. This shows that the
virus has remained upon the premises
and the hogs have been saved not by
the destruction of the contagion, but
by keeping the infected hogs alive until
they became immune This is an i'm
portant fact, and one which should be
kept constantly in mind in applying
measures of prevention.
The virus of hog cholera is more
tenacious, more resisting to the condi
tons which affect the vitality of bac-
terra than that of swine plague, and
it is also more easily spread and com
municated to healthy animals. Swine
contract hog cholera by taking the
virus into the body with the food or
drink, by inhaling it with the air, and
less frequently by its gaining entrance
through the surface of a fresh wound
on the other hand, the virus of swine
plague is generally, IL not always, TAX
en- into the lungs with the inhaled air
The time that elapses between in
lection and the appearance of the first
symptoms OF illness, known as the pc
riod of incubation, varies from four to
twenty days. During this period the
germs are multiplying slowly and are
gradually overcoming the vital powers
Of the animal by means of poisonous
substances which they produce as the
result of their growth.
SYMPTOMS.
The symptoms of serious diseases of
swine are not as characteristic as with
the larger animals. In the most acute
and most severe cases the animals die
very suddenly, either before sickness
has been observed. or after they have
been i'll but a few hours Such cases
are seen most frequently when the dis
ease first appears in a herd. In the
greater number OF cases the progress
OF the malady is slower, and there is
consequently a much better opportu-
nifty to observe the symptoms. There
is first seen the signs of fever, shiv
ering, unwillngness to move, more or
less loss of appetite, elevation of tenn
perature, which may reach 100 to l07
Fahrenheit; the animals appear stupid
and dun, and have a tendency to hide
IN the litter or bedding and remain
covered by it,
The bulletin also suggests remedies
for the disease, and sanitary measures
To- prevent the introduction of the con-
tagion. Proper breeding is also sug-
sested, and upon this point the bulle-
tin says:
The first principle of this method of
prevention is to breed only from ma
ture breeding stock which is only dis
family or not at all related The sec
ond principle is to select, If possible,
animals for breeding stock which have
II 49, 10 loo a..