Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-23
HOG DISEASE
BENG. FOUGHT
United States Agriculturists
Work to Prevent
Tuberculosis.

Washington. D. c.. Feb. 23.-To rid
the country Of tuberculosis Of hogs, q
disease which is costing millions Of
dollars annually. is practicable and
relatively easy. determination should
be attained without delay before the
disease, which appears to be increas-
ing. has gained too much headway. is
the advice Of the specialists of the
U. s. department of agriculture. The
Official figures show that per cent
Of the hogs slaughtered during the
fiscal year 1916 at establishments un-
der federal meat inspection were at
fected with tuberculosis in some de-
gree. In the case Of hogs from certain
localities. especially some of the dai-
rying sections, however, over rs per
cent. or one out Of four hogs slaugh-
tered, had the disease. In fact, so seri-
GUS has hog tuberculosis become In
some localities that hog buyers for
packing houses are avoiding certain
regions known to be badly infected
and some packers already are buying
hogs subject to post-mortem inspec-
ton with the loss for tubercular hogs
falling on the feeder. Other buyers
who do not buy subject to post-mor-
TEN inspection protect themselves by
offering a lower price for all hogs. in
which case the careful breeder suf-
fers equally with the careless one.
The following information regarding
the control Of this disease is taken
from Farmers Bulletin ISL, Tuber-
culosis Of Hogs, by John r. Mohler
and Henry j. Washburn.
The two principal ways Of prevent
ing hogs from becoming tubercular
are by keeping them away from tu-
bercular cattle. and by cooking or
pasteurixing all skim milk and cook
ing all garbage before it is fed to the
hogs.
On dairy farms, unless the cattle
have been tuberculin tested and are
known to be free from disease, hogs
should never be allowed to follow the
dairy cattle or to drink raw milk. In
any event, it is safer to cook skim
milk or buttermilk or to pasteurize
it, by holding it at l45 degrees for
80 minutes or at 176 degrees for one
minute That raw milk from tubercu-
hogs is fully established by adequate
tests. Raw milk of any kind from a
creamery is particularly dangerous
for hogs, because II there is but one
tubercular herd on the creamery
route the milk from this herd may
effect all the skim milk collected at
the factory. This explains why tuber-
culosis is most common in hogs in
dairy regions where milk is taken to
milk brought back to the farm from
the general stock.
The 'droppings of tubercular cattle
also convey the germs to hogs which
are allowed to follow them. For this
reason hogs should be kept out of
COW lots On the other hand, hogs can
follow steers with comparatively lit
tie danger. Steers are not kept in
doors as much as dairy cattle and
commonly are sold before they are
old enough for the disease to develop
to the point where it spreads germs
through the droppings.
Raw garbage, especially garbage
collected from cities. may carry the
germs Of tuberculosis and infect hogs
to which it Is fed. The germs in such
garbage will be rendered harmless If
the garbage is cooked before 1t is
fed. Such garbage. Il it has not reachz
ed the putrefactive stage. is admirable
for feeding purposes, provided the
Piggeries, where sterilized garbage is
prepared and fed. should be so con-
| structed that they may be readily
cleansed.
No hog should be allowed to eat
carrion such as dead chicken or 9th.
er animals, or to eat raw offal from
slaughterhouses or farm butchering
All slaughter house waste before be-
Ing fed should be thoroughly cooked,
as this will kill the germs Of tubercu-
losis and other diseases. Careful in
| vestigation shows that slaughter house
tankage does not spread the disease,
| as the preparation of this tankage in
! wolves thorough steyilization by heat.
1t stands to reason that no person
affected with tuberculosis should be
allowed to work among hogs and that
hogs, like other animals. have a much
better chance of withstanding this
disease II given plenty Of fresh air and
sunlight and provided with quarters
that are kept sanitary.
Where reports from slaughter hous-
es or other tests indicate that a herd
Is tubercular, the owner should at
once get rid Of his entire herd and,
after thoroughly disinfecting the
premises. introduce new breeding ami
mails. On the other hand, newly pur-
chased hogs should not be introduced
into herd known to be free from
disease until they have been tubercu-
lin tested. The intradermal method Of
applying tuberculin tests has been
tried on hogs and has given excellent
results. u farmer wishing to make
certain that his swine are free from
the disease should avail himself of
this test, which is described in the