The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-06-13
HOG CHOLERA AND
HOW TO CONTROL IT
(By w. J. Butler, State Veterinary
SurgeOn.)

Hog cholera. is caused by a specif-
ic organism.It is true that this or
ganism has never been scent being
too small for the microscopes which
are available at the present time.
However, by animal NEGOTIATIONS and
other methods it has been proved that
hog cholera is caused by a specific or
ganism and is not just something that
simply happens. A disease that is
caused by. a specific organism cannot
occur unless that particular organism
is present. If this organism was de-
stroyed throughout the United States
there would be no hog cholera In the
United States.
Inasmuch as hog cholera is caused
by a specific organism it follows that
! no new centers of infection can occur
unless that organism is introduced in
to that area. The three principal
| ways in which hog cholera virus or
| infection is carried to a district are
as follows:
1. By the purchase of hogs suffer
ing from hog cholera, or which have
been exposed to hog cholera.
2. By the feeding of garbage, table
refuse or kitchen swiIl which con-
tains pieces of infected pork.
3. By the abuse Of the simultane-
Gus method of vaccination.
Montana has strict regulations gov
erning the importation of hogs. All
hogs shipped into Montana must come
from a district free from hog cholera
or if they come from a district where
hog cholera has recently existed ther
they must be vaccinated under Off
cial supervision and dipped in a disin
fecting solution prior to their ship
ment, and must not be shipped unit
they were double vaccinated. Thes'
regulations prevent to even NOR
than a reasonable extent the possibili
ty of introducing hog cholera int
Montana by e Of the living ami
nal.
The second m~ethod-that of fedinI
garbage, table refuse or kitchel
swill which contains pieces of infect
ed pork is the one chat causes 80 pc
cent or more Of the cholera outbreak
in Montana. 1t may be wondered hoy
the feeding of these scraps can caus
hog cholera. Simply for the reaso
that these pork scraps in swill ma
carry the specific organism tina
causes hog cholera. We know that j
many hog districts when hog choier
makes it's appearance in that distri'
hog growers rush their hogs to ma
ket. We know it takes a certain tin
for any disease to develop in a bod
after the organism has been intr'
duced into that body. The lapse
time between the actual introductiC
of the organism and the time that Il
disease is manifested is what we ca
the period of incubation.
The period Of incubation of h'
cholera in artificially infected cas-
carried out as closely to the natuI
mode of infection as possible is
least four days-usually, however,
to Is days This being the case it f
lows that many hogs that suffer fri
hog cholera are shipped to slaughi
houses and yet upon post norton {
animation they do not show visil
LESSONS of hog cholera. These h
carcasses are shipped all over I
United States and naturally many
them find their way into Monta'
Even though they do not show Leslie
of this disease they carry the virus
the specific organism that causes
cholera, and when fed to healthy hi
it naturally follows that these heat
hogs in 8 short time come down w
cholera.
It has been proved beyond a re