Diagnostics and treatment of pig pasteurellosis
Pasteurellosis of pigs has another, more accurate, medical name - hemorrhagic septicemia. Such an ailment in the body of an animal is caused by the gram-negative bacillus Pasteurella spp. This is a difficult disease that is transmitted by contact, even to humans.
Pig Pasteurellosis
Where does the wand come from and what is it
Louis Pasteur carried out his experiments when, unexpectedly for himself, he discovered a new, completely unfamiliar dangerous virus, more precisely - a bacterium. In addition, he conducted research for various bird diseases and prepared a vaccine against these diseases. It was at this moment that the vaccine against pig pasteurellosis was created. A few days later, it became known that the vaccine was working. After that, the symptoms of pasteurellosis were noticed in many gilts, and when the vaccine was used on them, the result was positive.
According to experts, the bacillus of infection is located in the mucous passages, as well as in the respiratory system in healthy and strong individuals, but if the immune system is strong, it should suppress the infection and its development. Pasteurella spp - sticks that have an oblong shape, they always reproduce and live in pairs, rarely, but can still create chains between themselves.
Such an infection develops steadily and lives in blood, water, in any feces. In corpses, the bacterium can live for more than one month, and in meat that has been frozen, up to one year. The disease is unable to survive at high temperatures. He hates and will not be able to survive the infection and direct sunlight, the boiling process, and therefore it is advised to give fresh meat to heat treatment.
What can become a source of infection
Pasteurellosis usually occurs due to poor hygiene or contact with another infected person. Large animals are usually the main source of infection. They excrete infection into the air, drool, and their own feces. Also, the disease can enter the body through dirty water, the soil on which the pigs live or graze. In addition, not only cloven-hoofed animals can spread the disease, but also insects, rodents and birds.
Infection occurs through air or contact. Also, infection through the stomach often occurs: a person eats or drinks already contaminated food. In addition, experts are confident that infection often occurs through wounds, and it does not matter what size they are. Pasteurella spp is a severe disease, its rods multiply instantly and begin to infect all cells in the body. The disease immediately suppresses all the work of phagocytes, which is why the body cannot resist the disease. Toxins begin to be produced in all major systems of the body, due to which the percentage of vascular permeability increases dramatically. As a result, all this leads to such serious diseases as:
- a variety of edema;
- diathesis;
- poor blood clotting;
- a sharp increase in the percentage of bleeding.
Disease development
Pig Pasteurellosis is a disease that is transmitted through contact and air. Pasteurellosis can manifest itself through diseases such as lobar pneumonia, septicemia (blood poisoning), edema, pleurisy. In a stable and chronic form of pasteurellosis, pneumonia develops into a purulent state, after which it begins to affect the joints of the body, mammary glands, and eyes. In addition, a severe condition can often be accompanied by hemorrhagic enteritis. Most often, with pasteurellosis, the mutating bacillus Pasteurella multocida, sometimes Pasteurella Haemolityca, appears in the pig's body. According to the latest expert data, the percentage of death of an animal is very high, it can reach 70% of mortality.
If everything is fine with the immune system, the body is strong and strong enough, the animal can not only fight the disease, but also completely overcome it. If all individuals are in one cramped dirty room, they will have poor and poor-quality nutrition, a constant lack of vitamins, this will lead to the fact that immunity during pasteurellosis will fall, and the pigs will no longer be able to resist various infections.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to understand that the animal has already become infected: the incubation period of the infection lasts from 2 days to 2 weeks. In general, the manifestation of the symptoms of infection depends on the condition of the pig and the strength of the immune system.
Pathogens often cause a form of rather quick defeat - the most acute. This means that the very first signs of the disease appear already at the last stage, when there are several days or even only a few hours left before the death of the pig. Not the strongest strains of infection may appear at earlier stages.
Pasteurellosis has 4 stages of development in the pig's body, each of which suggests its own symptoms:
- The most acute. With it, pigs have a very high temperature, which has risen sharply above 41 ° C, a complete refusal of any food, heavy and difficult breathing, constant thirst (a pig can drink more than 5 liters of water per day) and strong apathy (the animal is constantly lying). Later, heart failure begins to develop sharply, severe swelling appears, which is especially noticeable on the neck. The animal dies three to four days after the first signs of strangulation.
- Medium pungency. The main symptoms almost completely coincide with those inherent in the acute stage of pasteurellosis. Weakened condition: severe shortness of breath, manifestation of croupous pneumonia, persistent cough. The pig's ears, face and neck begin to turn blue, which may indicate its imminent death. Piglets sit like dogs on the bottom, thus helping themselves to breathe when the airways are clogged. This form leads to the death of the animal already on the 3rd or 7th day. Recovering even after treatment is almost impossible.
- Sharp. The slow development of pneumonia of a croupous type, a febrile form of exacerbation, a strong cough, which is accompanied by severe pain. Also, gray purulent discharge appears, and diarrhea is possible. The death of the animal occurs on the 3rd or 10th day.
- Chronic form. The body temperature is always normal, but there is a strong and rapid depletion of the animal. Also, pasteurellosis in pigs manifests itself through a depressed state, severe cough, severe swelling.
To have a better idea of each stage of the course of the disease, you can refer to the photos, of which there are countless numbers on the Internet.
In order to understand whether the pig is sick or not, it is necessary to take samples for inoculation from her, only this gives a 100 percent result. As soon as suspicions are confirmed, treatment should be carried out immediately.
External signs, such as pain when pressing on the chest or the appearance of red spots, can become an alarm bell for the farmer.Experts say that improvements may appear, but then any stage of the disease will turn into a chronic form, and no treatment will be able to completely remove the bacillus. Vaccination is a good way to prevent illness. She saves 50% of the time.
Treatment of ailment
How is the disease treated? A number of antibiotics of completely different types and actions are prescribed. In addition, serum is injected, which goes along with penicillin. During treatment, the pig must be well fed and constantly drink plenty of fluids. The room in which the infected pigs will be located should be well ventilated, but drafts should be avoided. Pigs that get sick do not have to live in cramped conditions, they need space. It is extremely important not to forget to vaccinate on time.
Today there are more than 15 different anti-pastererellosis serums. The main ones are:
- emulsified serum;
- hyperimmune serum.
Immunity is formed within 7-10 days. Serum against pigs pasteurellosis in 90% of cases allows the animal to survive and fight.
Prevention of pathology
New members of the livestock should be kept in quarantine for the first 2 weeks. It is also required to comply with all sanitary and hygienic standards, never skip vaccinations, and sanitize the pigsty.
Pasteurellosis is a serious and serious disease that almost always ends in death. To avoid this, it is necessary to constantly vaccinate and at the first symptoms of an animal's illness, separate it from others. The main thing is to follow the instructions of veterinary drugs for piglets against pasteurellosis.