What are the main routes of transmission for swine fever?
Swine fever is commonly known as “rotten intestine plague”. Under natural conditions it infects only pigs. Pigs of different ages, sexes and breeds, as well as wild boars, are all susceptible, and it can occur in all four seasons. So what are the transmission routes of swine fever? How is it prevented? What are the symptoms?
What are the transmission routes of swine fever?
Swine fever is mainly transmitted through contact, for example contact with diseased pigs, wild boars and insect vectors, and consumption of feed, swill and drinking water contaminated by the virus. In addition, sows infected by the disease or by a low-virulence strain can also vertically infect their fetuses through the placenta.
How is swine fever prevented?
1. Immunization.
2. Carry out immune monitoring, using methods such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or the forward indirect hemagglutination test to monitor immune antibodies.
3. Promptly cull breeding pigs that are silently infected and carry the virus.
4. Adhere to a breeding management system of self-breeding and self-raising, with all-in and all-out batches.
5. Do a good job of isolation, hygiene, disinfection and pest control at the pig farm and in the pig houses, to reduce the invasion of swine fever virus.
What are the symptoms of swine fever?
The length of the incubation period is related to the virulence of the virus and the resistance of the pig. It is generally 5 to 6 days, at shortest 2 days, and in some cases as long as 21 days. It is generally divided according to the length of the disease course into three types: peracute, acute and chronic.
1. The peracute type is rarely seen. The pig suddenly falls ill, mainly showing high fever, complete loss of appetite, mucosal congestion and weakness, and dies not long after.
2. The acute type is the most common. The sick pig's body temperature rises to 40.5 to 42 degrees C. The sick pig is listless, with rough coat, shivering, preferring to lie down, walking slowly and weakly, with reduced appetite, increased drinking, occasional vomiting, constipation at first and then diarrhea, passing foul-smelling loose stool. On the ears, abdomen, inner sides of the limbs and other places where the hair is sparse and the skin is thin, red spots or red patches of varying size appear. Boars develop inflammation of the prepuce, and piglets show neurological symptoms.
3. The chronic type mostly develops from the acute sick pigs. There is poor appetite, with constipation and diarrhea appearing alternately. The sick pig becomes emaciated, listless, with weak hindquarters and a staggering walk, and in the end mostly dies of exhaustion.
Swine fever is one of the most highly infectious diseases among pig diseases, so pig farmers must make sure to vaccinate their pigs before raising them.