The independent., 1907-04-04
Parasites in Hogs.

NAL kingdom. 1t may live on either an
animal or a plant, from which it de-
rives its nourishment for part or the
whole of its life cycle. The plant or
animal ON which the parasite lives is
called its host. Parasites are, as stated,
either of an animal or vegetable form.
Some live outside of the body and some
live inside of the body, and are accord
ingly termed external and internal
parasites. Some parasites live their
whole life on the host, but the great
majority spend only part of their
life there Almost all of the lower
forms of animal parasites must pass
through different forms during their
life cycle. This stage of change or in
cubation is called metamorphosis.
There are usually three separate peri
DDS, first that when the egg is Matched,
second when it reaches the larval
state, or better known in insects as the
caterpillar stage, often called grub or
maggot; from this form it usually
changes into a third namely the pupa
or chrysalis stage, and from this to the
adult state. For a good illustration the
reader is referred to the butterfly. This
insect is familiar to all, and like this
insect the parasites pass through a
metamorphosis state. However, some
stages in different animal hosts, while
still others pass through only one
transformation and some do not pass
through any.
A number of authors state that
swine are great deal more susceptible
to animal parasites than other farm
animals. This the writer hardly be-
lieyes to be a fact. for he believes that
when a more thorough investigation
has been made other animals, especial
ly the sheep, dog and cat, will be found
to harbor many more parasites than
swine. However, it is bad enough as
1t is, for hogs are infested by large
number Of intestinal parasites. For
tunately, however, they do not seem to
be so disastrous to swine as they are,
for instance, to sheep for it is a fact
that the greatest loss occurring in sheep
Is due to parasites, the sheep industry
In some of the eastern states having
been practically abandoned by reason
of the severe loss from parasitic dis
eases. The intestines Of swine harbor
the greatest number as well as the
most harmful parasites.
We will first take up the little round
worm (Ascaris suilla Duj.) found in
swine This worm is commonly called
the roundWorm and is one of the
worms most frequently found. AL
though occurring in great abundance it
does not seem to do great deal of
damage. 1t is large, long, round
worm that tapers towards both ends.
1t is found in the small inteStines, but
may also be seen in the large intes-
tines and in the stomach 1t loosely at
taches it2elf to the intestinal wall by
its mouth The males are from six to
i,,ol nd fha far oil
eight TO ten inches. They are of d
dark yellowish- white or of reddish
brown color 1t is not uncommon to
find these worms even in the common
bile duet or some rnay enter the gall
bladder The writer has also found
them in the lobes of the liver, that is,
when they were found in great album
dance in the small intestines These
are the common worms found in the
young pig and they completely
obstruct the intestine They are usu-
ally found in the young, unthrifty pig |
They produce general unthriftiness |
among young pigs weighing from forty |
to i20 pounds and the trouble is often |
mistaken for cholera and swine plague. |
On account of the presence of this |
worm we find popular notion that |
these parasites have some hing in COM |
mon with hog cholera and swine |
plague This is very erroneous idea. |
The vitality of the host is reduced by |
these parasites. and ii is on
this account that these symptoms are I
found. Ii can be stated safely that over
SO per cent of the hogs slaughtered
in the Mississippi valley are infested
with this worm and often to large
extent. Professor Kaupp states that he
has seen these worms so numerous
that the intestines for as much as two
feet would be considerably distcndcd
with them" and the writer has FIRE
oucntiy seen cases where the entire
lumen Of the intestine was filled with
them, But II In probable that the
worms collected In these masses af.sr
tho animal had heen killed. Certainly
such 4 condition could not have ex-
Isted for any length OF tine prior TO
death without having produced clog
cling and Inflammation of the Intestine
v uhereas the intestine seemed 10 be IN
4 healthy condition.
There seems Ga he no doubt that the
80 t.-4Ft0fftaa ant 4