The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-06-06
NEW HOG DISEASE
CAUSES LOSSES
The Kidney-Worm Is the Latest
Pest To Cause Small
Farmers Worry
Board OF Agriculture and For
eStry Identifies Parasite and
Suggests Remedies

A now disease Of hogs which Is caus-
ing rather serious losses to small
ranchcrs, has appeared in Hawaii and
while the cause Of the disease is known
there is no curative remedy that can
be used against it. .,,.
NJ. +. scott arrived from Kona yes
terday with some very sick porkers
which he turned over to the Territorial
veterinarian for examination Losses
have occurred all over the Big Island
from kohala 70 Kau, in HilO and Hama
kua. as also in the two Konas. In some
ways the sickness resembled hog ehol.
era aud many have mistaken il for
that trouble Mr.. Scott was not salts.
fled that ii was cholera, however, and
so brought an afflicted specimen 20 the
board OF agriculture laboratories to find
out what the cause of the disease real.
ly is. -, -
The veterinarians thought they knew
what was the matter with the shoat
but to be certain, did what doctors al.
ways do when in dOubt-made a post
mortem examination.
acknowledgement Extras ~ -r-..
DR.. Case and Norgaard found what
they thought they would, bad case
of the blood parasite infection known
as "kidnCy. worm Kidney.worm OF
hogs is an internal or blood, parasite
closely related to the hook.worm OF
man, and the liver-Auke of cattle. IL
IS also related to the trichinn parasite
but is ? much larger beast. and unlike
that muscle worm in not being trans.
m "a, nfh r..
known. g. AZ
The worms become encysted in the
muscles OF the smnll.Of the,back and
even in the muscular portion Of the
kidneys. MIR. S'cOtt s KOna hog, which
was entirely paralyzed in the hind quar-
ters and unable to stand. was found TO
contain half Il dozen or more of these
cysts out Of one Of which the veter-
marian extracted -four live worms, three
of them females and one male. The
worms ore about two inches long. u
Mother Worm Industrious tFai
The female kidney worm lays a mil
Hon or two eggs which enter the blood
vessels and are in turn stmined out
in the great body-flters, the kidneys,
passing out of the body in the urine.
It Is through the hog eating urine-con-
green heritage that infection
OF the hog occurs originally, The eggs
of the kidney worm hatch in the stoIil.
ach and intestines and the minute para
sites bore through the walls of the In.
testincs into the blood vessels, aud are
carried into the lumbar muscles. Many
are eliminated, from the body but some
find Judgement and form tiny bladders,
or cysts, In which they develop until
they are mature The cycle of develop
meut is complete when the adult worms
lay their eggs to be in turn yoided
from their host . body ",as
The kidney-worm during its growth
secrets poisons which act on the Md.
neys to destroy their normal functions.
weakness results, lettering gait, stiff
ness Of the joints, and finally paralysis
OF the hind quarters. In this stage the
pig Is unable to get up after II lies
down, loses its appetite and death en-.
sues. The only remedy is sanitation
and frequent change Of pasturage.
Wet Pastures Carry 1t ~ t.i.,
The disease has been reported by
DIR. Elliott in East Hawaii q number
of times and recently from Mahukona.
IL has also boen reported in three sep.
arate localities on Oahu, at Wahiawa,
Waialae and .Moiliili, the chief hog,
raising eenters on this island. The i'm,
lection is widely distributed, but sefi.
Gus losses from 1t occur only during
excessively rainy seasons or where hogs
pasture continuously on wet lands
where the vegetation has become egg.
infected.
"It is worth a great deal to the small
pig ,ranchers to know that there Is an
institution here that will give prompt
attention to disease outbreaks,p Mr..
scott said yesterday, speaking OF the
assistance rendered by, the Territorial
veterinarians, Definite knowledge ms
to the nature of a disease is worth
lot, even though the. doctors say there
y no MEDICINE or remedy that WIN kill
the kidney,worms after they lodge In
the pigs body. An understanding Of
the nature Of the disease gives each
farmer an idea how to prevent infce.