What are the prevention and control methods for swine foot-and-mouth disease?
Swine foot-and-mouth disease is caused by the foot-and-mouth disease virus and manifests as blisters and erosions on the skin of the coronary band, interdigital space, and heel. Some pigs also show the same lesions on the oral mucosa and snout. It generally occurs more often in winter and spring. Both direct and indirect contact can cause pigs to become ill. For example, infected pigs, swill, contaminated feeding utensils, and transport vehicles can all spread the disease. Let's take a look at the prevention and control methods for swine foot-and-mouth disease.
Clinical Symptoms of Swine Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Swine foot-and-mouth disease is characterized by blisters on the hooves, elevated body temperature, and obvious systemic symptoms. The coronary band, interdigital space, and heel become red, form blisters and ulcerate. When there is secondary infection, the hoof shell may fall off, lameness occurs, and the pig prefers to lie down. Blisters and erosions can also be seen on the snout, oral cavity, gums, tongue, and udder (mainly in lactating sows). Piglets may die from enteritis and myocarditis.
Treatment Methods for Foot-and-Mouth Disease
1. The oral cavity can be washed with clean water, vinegar, or 0.1% potassium permanganate. The eroded surface can be coated with 1% to 2% alum or iodine tincture glycerol (iodine 7 g, KI 5 g, alcohol 100 mL, after dissolution add glycerol 100 mL). Bingpeng powder can also be used.
2. The hooves can be washed with 3% Lysol, dried, then coated with pine tar oil or ichthammol ointment, and bandaged.
3. The udder can be washed with soapy water or 2% to 3% boric acid water, then coated with penicillin ointment or other antiseptic ointment. Milk should be expressed regularly to prevent mastitis.
4. For malignant foot-and-mouth disease, in addition to local treatment, cardiotonics and supplements can be used, such as camphor sodium salicylate and glucose saline. Oral crystalline camphor, twice a day, 5 to 8 grams each time, can achieve good results.
Preventive Measures for Foot-and-Mouth Disease
1. Resolutely do not buy pigs or their carcasses, heads, hooves, offal, etc. from areas with an epidemic.
2. After foot-and-mouth disease occurs, immediately report to the higher-level business department and the county (city, district) government. The government shall designate the epidemic point and issue a blockade order. According to the principle of “early, fast, strict, and small,” extinguish the epidemic on the spot, and notify neighboring areas to organize joint prevention.
3. In newly affected areas, decisive measures must be taken to cull diseased pigs and pigs in the same group on the spot. When conditions permit, carcasses, heads, hooves, and offal shall be rendered harmless strictly according to the Trial Procedures for Meat Hygiene Inspection. When conditions do not permit, they shall be covered with caustic soda and deeply buried.
4. After an epidemic occurs, livestock markets in the blockade area shall be closed, slaughter inspection shall be strengthened, and the spread of the epidemic shall be strictly prevented. Diseased animals and suspected diseased animals in the epidemic area must be confined within the epidemic area, cared for by designated personnel, and provided with fixed feeding tools. Carcasses of diseased animals shall be disinfected and deeply buried and must not be eaten. Manure and bedding soil from diseased animals may only be used after sealed fermentation. After the last diseased pig recovers or dies, and after another 14 days with no new cases appearing, and after thorough disinfection (including disinfection of animal bodies), the blockade may be lifted. However, recovered diseased animals must not be transported out for at least 1 year after the blockade is lifted, and susceptible animals must not be transported in.
5. After identification of the virus type, preventive injection shall be carried out for healthy pigs in the epidemic area and threatened area.