How is swine influenza treated with traditional Chinese medicine?

Swine influenza is an acute, highly contagious infectious disease of pigs caused by the swine influenza virus. It is characterized by sudden onset and rapid spread, often affecting the entire herd within a short period (2 to 3 days). Pigs of different ages, sexes and breeds are all susceptible to infection. It mostly occurs in late autumn and early spring when the weather changes abruptly, as well as in the cold winter, with a morbidity rate of about 100%. The author used Jingfang Baidu San and Yinqiao San to treat 63 cases of swine influenza; 60 cases recovered after 5 days, 2 cases recovered after 7 days, and 1 case died due to complicated pneumonia. The results were very satisfactory.

1 Clinical symptoms: sudden onset, with almost the entire herd often infected at the same time. The body temperature of sick pigs suddenly rises to 40.3-41.5 degC, and can sometimes reach as high as 42 degC. Appetite is reduced or even completely lost, the animals are extremely listless and lie prone without getting up, with coughing, clear nasal discharge, occasional sneezing, dry feces, scanty and dark urine, difficulty breathing, sometimes a sitting-like posture, congested conjunctiva, and tears flowing from both eyes.

2 Treatment: For wind-cold type influenza, use modified Jingfang Baidu San: Schizonepeta, Saposhnikovia, Notopterygium, Angelica pubescens, Bupleurum, Peucedanum, Aurantium, Poria, Platycodon, Ligusticum, Licorice; for wind-heat type influenza, use modified Yinqiao San: honeysuckle, Forsythia, Scutellaria, Bupleurum, Arctium, dried tangerine peel, Licorice. One dose is decocted twice, 1 dose/day, taken in 2 divided doses, or all ingredients are ground into powder, mixed with boiling water, and administered warm after cooling, for 3 to 4 consecutive days.

3 Case examples. Case 1: 4 pigs in Hucheng Town, Liangping County became ill and were brought for treatment. Symptoms: depression, reduced appetite, cold limbs, tears from both eyes, aversion to cold, lowered head and arched back, shivering, coughing, clear nasal discharge. Diagnosed as wind-cold type influenza. Treatment should relieve the exterior and disperse cold. Prescription: modified Jingfang Baidu San: Schizonepeta 30 g, Saposhnikovia 30 g, Notopterygium 20 g, Angelica pubescens 20 g, Bupleurum 30 g, Peucedanum 20 g, Poria 20 g, Shenqu 30 g, Ligusticum 20 g, Licorice 10 g. Decoct in water and administer orally; all recovered after 3 days.

Case 2: 3 pigs at a farmer's household became ill and were brought for treatment. Symptoms: severe fever, slight aversion to cold, no sweating or little sweating, coughing, rapid breathing, thirst and desire to drink, red mouth color, dry and hard feces, yellow tongue coating, floating pulse. Diagnosed as wind-heat type influenza. Treatment with modified Yinqiao San: honeysuckle 30 g, Forsythia 30 g, Scutellaria 30 g, Bupleurum 30 g, Arctium 20 g, dried tangerine peel 20 g, Licorice 10 g. Decoct in water and give to the 3 pigs to drink at the same time; all recovered after 3 days.