The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-02-07
HOW HOG CHOLERA
IS BEING COM3ATED

The Department of Agriculture dur
ing the past year, has been conducting
campaigns in Indiana, Missouri, Iowa
and Nebraska to control the contag
ious disease of hogs known as 'hog
cholera" by means of anti-hog chol-
era serum and farm guarantees. In
one county (Pettis county, MissourD
where there was loss of Is per cent
in 1911 and 256 per cent in 1912 of all
hogs raised, there was only loss of
lat per cent up to November, 1913.
This decrease was due to the use of
the serum, which, although not used
there by the departments agents until
August, 1913, materially reduced the
loss. About 10000 hogs were raised
during the past year and of the TO-
600 that died of the hog cholera only
about 1000 were lost after the active
use of serum and quarantine measures
were inaugurated.
In every county where these meas
ures were employed, even though be-
its ravages for some time, there was
less loss from hog cholera than in Ell
Their of the two preceding years.
In addition to it's great function as
a preventive, it has been found that
the anti-hog- cholera serum would cure
a large proportion of hogs in the early
stages of the disease and render them
immune after recovery. However, If
hogs are not treated by this serum,
from rs to 100 per cent of all affected
herds die. This serum, so far as is
known, is the only thing that will pre-
vent the disease.
Of hogs actually sick when treated,
the Departments inspectors lost but
% per cent during the past summer.
Of we'll hogs in diseased herds, 2-S
per cent died after being treated and
of hogs in exposed herds less than l
per cent died after being inoculated
with the serum. In an infected herd
there is always a certain proportion
Of hogs that are we'll
The inspector examines the hogs
when he arrives, takes the tempera-
ture of all hogs in the herd and sep
arates the sick from the well. The
temperature is an indication of the
sickness. The temperature of a sick
hog, unless the hogs is near death, will
run above l04 degrees and sometimes
as high as LOT or 10S degrees F.
Some States are engaged in the
manufacture of serum to cure this
disease. This serum requires special
treatment to preserve it's quality and
a qualified man to produce it. Stuff
cient serum to treat an average hun
bred pound hog costs about thirty
cents at a liberal estimate. The treat
ment is by hypodermic injection.
The Department in initiating its
campaign against the devastating hog
disease has only been able to COM
mence in few of the districts where
the cholera was the most widespread
and where the active cooperation of
the State was offered in enforcing the
ordinary quarantine measures, etc.
The object of the Department has
been to endeavor to control the dis
ease and if possible, TO eliminate it
from the country. To secure this end
the best efforts of the farmer himself
are necessary. The campaign against
this devastating sickness during 1913
was planned in the territory selected
along three lines.
l. The cductaion and organization
Of the farmers in the districts select
ed, to be carried ont primarily by the
State College.
?. The enforcement of sanitation
and restrictive regulations by the
State veterinarian.
3. Active supervision by the Bureau
Of Animal Industry of the Depart
ment and the incubation of diseased
herds and exposed herds with the anti
hog-cholera serum.
A county in each State was select
ed as a unit ard the method of work
in that county was briefly, for the
State College to secure the co-opera-
ton of intelligent, active farmers il
each township in the county These
men We're called volunteer assistants
and they Were to keep in close com
munication with the Departments in
spector stationd in that area, keeping
him informed Of conditions and secur-
ing statistics concerning the hog in.
dustry. In this manner conditions
were pretty well learned in the terri
tory under inspection. When an out
break Of hog cholera was reported the
Departments inspector went to that
outbreak and saved all the hogs he
could by treatment with serum. AS
the disease is very easily transmitted,
he then protected ali herds in the i'm
mediate vicinity by incubation. The
idea was to form zone of immune
animals around the infected center.
Hog cholera is caused by germ
that exists in the blood. 1t is an or