The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-07-24
HOG CHOLERA AND ITS CONTROL
BY n. M. Hamilton, Veterinarian
County Live Stock Inspector of
Bourbon County, Ky.

Hog cholera is the most highly COM
municable and the most generally
prevalent disease affecting swine. No
breed of swine is immune to this
malady, although the susceptibility
of different breeds and of different in
dividuals of the same breed differ
widely in degree. The disease is
characterized by loss of appetite, ele-
waited temperature and early intoxica-
ton. So great is the death rate
from hog cholera that it is an eXces-
sive economic loss on the farmers OF
the nation. The loss of the State OF
Kentucky during 1913 amounting to
over $4,000, 900. The disease prom
Uses to be more prevalent and wide
spread than the past year.
CAUSE.-THE causative agent OF
hog cholera has never been definitely
ascertained, but long continued expe-
lriments has proven it to be due to
micro-organismS or a filterable virus,
which will pass through the finest
filters. The filterablevirus spoken OF
above is found to exist not only In
the blood of infected swine, but in the
urine, the faces and the macerated
structures of some of the internal
organs.
METHODS OF TRANSMISSION
Hog cholera may be transmitted IN
number of ways-by direct contact or
one animal with another, in sleeping
quarters or feeding troughs; by birds;
by streams; by dogs; by parasites;
on the shoes of individuals; and by
eating infected food. 1t is most fire.
uuently contracted at the time OF
feeding, and herds that are confined
in close, ill-ventilated or unsanltary
quarters are most readily infected
and they offer the least resistance to
it's ravageS.
Birds that feed on the carcaSSeS OF
hogs dead of the disease often carry
the causative agent to remote fields.
where they communicate it to the
healthy animals. The pollution of a
small stream caused by the presence
of an infected carcass, Cor herd hav-
inc access to same) may carry the in
lection to the other herds miles
away.
1t may be asserted without fear OF
refutaation that all stockyards are in
| fected with cholera, as are all public
feeding stations and rest stations
provided by common carriers for &C
commodation of swine in transit.
There is always a probability of in
| lection at public fairs and stock
shows, and none but immune animals
should be sent to such places for eXhl-
bition purposes.
An estimate of the relative pro-
ductivity of various sources OF lnfec-
ton, placing the greatest burden OF
responsibility upon the human ele-
ment.
Visitation of neighbors carrying the
causative agent on their shoes from
infected herds to uninfected herds
are responsible for 33 per sent. of the
outbreaks.
Birds carrying the injecting medi-
UNI in 27.5 per cent. of outbreaks.
Dogs are probably responsible for
about 6.5 per cent. of outbreaks.
Streams carry the causative factor
which is responsible for some 8 per
cent. of outbreaks; hogs in adjoining
premises convey the infection
in about As per cent; escaped
hogs in per cent; new stock from
infected sources bring the cholera in
about 10 per cent. of outbreaks, and
in 6.5 per cent. of new cases the in
lection is traceable to local causes
due to improper sanitation.
SYMPTOMS-The period of incu-
baton of hog cholera is sometimes as
short as two days, bpt usually run
from four to eight days from date Of
exposure No swine that has been
exposed to the disease can be regard
ed as entirely safe from the malady
until after a period of thirty days has
elapsed.
Owing to wide and different symp-
toms in every case of hog cholera it
is often difficult to make diagnosis.
Moreover, we often encounter cases
of hog cholera in which the symptoms
are not sufficiently pronounced to
render diagnosis simple or definite
The symptoms are so wide and diff
ferent that it isn't necessary for me
to go into details on symptomology,
but in all outbreaks of a fatal disease
in swine the owner should at once
consult a qualified veterinarian, and
if possible arrive at a diagnosis, and
if same is found to be cholera, then
the County Live Stock inspector
should at once be informed, and all
precautions possible be taken to pre-
vent the spread of the disease to non
infected hogs on the same farm, and
non-infected herds on adjoining
farms.
Hog cholera may be confounded
with the following diseases: Anthrax
alimentary troubles resulting. from
dietetic errors and parasites of to
tuberculosis.
TREATMENT-The first and most