How to prevent and treat porcine epidemic diarrhea? A full analysis of practical methods
In early 2008 the weather in southern China was severely cold, and on some pig farms in Yangjiang, Jiangmen and other places in Guangdong Province, pigs developed yellow or gray watery diarrhea, especially piglets, accompanied by vomiting, severe dehydration, death and other symptoms, causing serious losses to the farms. Through clinical diagnosis, laboratory testing and other methods, veterinary workers determined that the disease occurring in these two places was porcine epidemic diarrhea.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea mostly occurs in the cold winter season from December to February of the following year, and pigs of all ages can be infected and develop the disease. The infection rate in suckling piglets, weaned piglets and fattening pigs is 100%, and in adult sows it is 15%-19%. Suckling piglets are affected most severely, with an average mortality rate of 50%, and it often spreads throughout the entire pig farm within 4 to 5 weeks. The pathogen of this disease is sensitive to ether, chloroform and the like, and has weak resistance to the external environment and disinfectants. General disinfectants can inactivate it.
Diseased pigs mainly show vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration, along with depression, anorexia, watery diarrhea, emaciation and exhaustion.
Vaccination: every winter in October-November, the whole herd of sows and breeding boars is vaccinated with the transmissible gastroenteritis-porcine epidemic diarrhea combined vaccine, 1 dose per pig; multiparous sows are vaccinated with 1 dose per pig one month before farrowing, and replacement gilts are vaccinated with 1 dose per pig 40 days and 20 days before farrowing respectively. Piglets are vaccinated once 10 to 15 days after weaning. For vaccine injection, injection at the Houhai acupoint gives better results than intramuscular injection in the neck.
Emergency prevention: when this disease occurs on a pig farm, comprehensive disinfection work should be done well, and quicklime can be spread all around the farm area to cut off the source of infection. Strengthening warmth retention is key; generally, heat lamps are more effective than burning coal, and during an outbreak, feed can be reduced and more drinking water provided. Prevent dehydration and acidosis, use antibacterial and anti-inflammatory measures, and stop diarrhea and replenish fluids.
Treatment measures: when this disease occurs, the transmissible gastroenteritis-porcine epidemic diarrhea combined vaccine can be used for emergency vaccination, or Newcastle disease strain I vaccine can be injected intramuscularly at a dose of 50 doses per pig to induce interferon production.
Antibiotic therapy: let the pigs drink oral rehydration salt solution, with the formula of adding 20 g glucose, 3.5 g sodium chloride, 2.5 g sodium bicarbonate and 1.5 g potassium chloride to 1000 ml water. For whole-herd medication, mix into feed: Antiviral No. 1 1000 g + doxycycline 400 g + immune crystal protein + potentiated sulfadimidine 600 g + glucose 10 kg + multivitamins, used continuously for one week. For individual piglets with particularly severe disease, antibiotics plus rehydration salts can be given orally, and for severely affected sows, intravenous injection can be used to administer the drug.