Symptoms of Swine Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Disease No. 5) and the Best Treatment Methods

After the Start of Winter, various diseases break out frequently on pig farms, and among them swine foot-and-mouth disease has always been the pig epidemic that farmers fear most. It not only inhibits the growth rate of the pig herd, but in severe cases can also cause death, bringing great losses to pig farms. So what are the symptoms of swine foot-and-mouth disease? What are the best treatment methods?

I. What is swine foot-and-mouth disease?

1. Introduction to swine foot-and-mouth disease: Swine foot-and-mouth disease, also called Disease No. 5, is an acute, febrile and highly contagious infectious disease caused by the foot-and-mouth disease virus. It mainly infects cloven-hoofed animals. Swine foot-and-mouth disease is extremely contagious, spreads rapidly, has an acute onset, and has a very high infection and incidence rate.

2. Epidemic timing and characteristics of swine foot-and-mouth disease: Swine foot-and-mouth disease mostly occurs in late autumn, winter and early spring, and especially reaches its peak in winter and spring. However, on large pig farms and in densely concentrated pig-raising areas, it can occur in all four seasons. Livestock products, feed, pastures, drinking water and water sources, vehicles and feeding tools can all become sources of infection. Sick pigs are the most dangerous source of infection, and air is also an important transmission medium. Swine foot-and-mouth disease often occurs in a jumping pattern, mainly on concentrated pig farms, pig farms on the outskirts of cities and along transportation routes.

II. Symptoms of swine foot-and-mouth disease

1. The main symptoms of swine foot-and-mouth disease are blisters and ulcers.

2. The incubation period of swine foot-and-mouth disease is generally 2-7 days. At the beginning of the disease, body temperature rises to 40-41 degrees, the animal is listless, often lies on the ground unable to get up, and eats little or nothing.

3. Newborn piglets that are infected do not necessarily have blisters. The main manifestations are acute gastroenteritis, acute myocarditis or paralysis of the limbs, and the mortality rate can reach more than 80%.

4. In fattening pigs, red hot patches appear on the hoof cleft, hoof heel, hoof coronet and other parts, and soon form blisters of varying sizes that are transparent on the outside and filled with light gray or slightly yellow liquid inside. The blisters slowly enlarge, and after rupturing form red erosive patches. Mildly affected pigs in a good breeding environment recover in about one week; otherwise, secondary bacterial infection occurs, causing lameness and shedding of the hoof shell.

5. Blisters, erosion and scabbing occur on the teats and muzzle surface of lactating sows.

III. Best treatment methods for swine foot-and-mouth disease

When foot-and-mouth disease or suspected foot-and-mouth disease occurs on a pig farm, sick pigs should be isolated immediately and then treated according to symptoms.

1. If swine foot-and-mouth disease is found, we should promptly diagnose and treat the affected pigs, and isolate, blockade and disinfect the epidemic area. Any dead pigs and contaminated materials must be deeply buried.

2. If individual pigs have an outbreak, isolate them promptly and then disinfect the whole farm. For uninfected pigs, choose foot-and-mouth disease virus serum prevalent in the local area for vaccination.

3. Perform surgical treatment on pigs with hoof ulcers to speed up wound healing and prevent secondary infection: wash the ulcerated area with 0.5% potassium permanganate, then apply iodine glycerin, or spray the wound with iodine tincture, once a day for three consecutive days.

4. For pigs with high fever, try to avoid injections. Compound vitamins can be added to drinking water, among which vitamin C can be used in larger amounts. Be sure to never let the pigs go without water each day.

5. For pigs that do not eat, because there are blisters on the mouth, eating increases the pain. At this time, wet mixed feed can be given to increase palatability, and a little salt can also be added to the feed. Pigs like salty food, and adding salt can increase appetite.

6. For pigs with shed hoof shells, “crystalline sulfonamide powder” should be sprinkled on the wound. For some affected pigs that cannot move, water and food should be provided manually.

Note: Generally, pigs with swine foot-and-mouth disease rarely die. A small number of deaths occur because the virus attacks the heart, causing myocarditis and death from heart failure. Therefore, the condition of the pigs should be observed every day, and prevention and treatment should be carried out promptly.

IV. How to prevent swine foot-and-mouth disease?

Swine foot-and-mouth disease is actually also very easy to prevent. As long as we grasp its “fatal weakness”, we can prevent and treat it according to the symptoms.

1. Winter and spring are the seasons with a high incidence of foot-and-mouth disease. Pig housing should be well managed, and feeding management should be strengthened. The bedding straw laid in pig housing should be changed frequently. There are many bacteria and viruses in winter, so pig housing and tools should be disinfected regularly. Caustic soda and quicklime can be used to disinfect pens; potassium permanganate or iodine solution can be sprayed in the pig housing space to disinfect the air, etc.

2. Ensure that the environment inside the pig housing is dry, with room temperature controlled between 15-22 degrees, and the temperature for piglets in the farrowing house controlled at 25-28 degrees.

3. Do a good job of foot-and-mouth disease vaccination. Breeding pigs are vaccinated 3 times a year, respectively in March, July and December, once each time, with 3 doses injected intramuscularly per pig. Fattening pig herds are immunized 2 times, with the first immunization at 23-25 days of age and the second immunization at 60 days of age.

Conclusion: The above is the relevant introduction to swine foot-and-mouth disease. Now in winter, defensive measures must be taken well. Farmers should carefully observe the various symptoms of pigs, diagnose and treat problems promptly, and do a good job of feeding management and disinfection measures.