Prevention and Control Methods and Technical Key Points for Swine Anthrax
For acute and subacute cases in pigs, early diagnosis and timely treatment are very important. Treatment of chronic anthrax in pigs is restricted, but in all cases treatment must be carried out under strict isolation and with dedicated nursing care.
1. Serum therapy.
Anti-anthrax serum is a specific biological agent for treating anthrax, and good results can be obtained when used at the early stage of the disease. The single dose for large pigs is 50-100 milliliters, and for small pigs 30-80 milliliters. Half may be given intravenously and half subcutaneously. If necessary, the injection may be repeated once after 12 hours or 24 hours. To avoid allergic reactions, it is best to use anti-anthrax serum from the same species of animal. If serum from a different species of animal is used, 0.5-1 milliliter should first be injected subcutaneously, and after observing for 0.5 hour with no special reaction, the full dose may then be injected.
The effect is better when antibiotics and anti-anthrax serum are used at the same time.
2. Antibiotic and sulfonamide drug treatment.
Penicillin has a good therapeutic effect; for pigs, inject 400,000-800,000 international units intramuscularly each time, twice daily, for 2-3 consecutive days. Oxytetracycline 1-2 grams, intravenous or intramuscular injection. Or penicillin may be used together with oxytetracycline or tetracycline. Streptomycin, doxycycline, lincomycin, gentamicin, cephalosporin, and sulfathiazole are also effective. The therapeutic effect is better when penicillin is combined with sulfonamides.
Intestinal anthrax also requires oral creolin (cresol solution), 3 times daily, 2-5 milliliters per dose for pigs.
Symptomatic treatment should also be combined with this, and nursing care should be strengthened.
3. Prevention and control measures.
(1) For pigs in areas where anthrax frequently occurs or in threatened areas, preventive injection should be carried out regularly every year to enhance the specific resistance of the pig's body. This is the fundamental measure for preventing this disease. At present, the following two vaccines are used in our country.
Avirulent anthrax spore vaccine: pigs are injected subcutaneously with 0.5 milliliter. Immunity develops 14 days after injection, and the immunity period is 1 year. No. II anthrax spore vaccine: subcutaneous injection of 1 milliliter; immunity develops 14 days after injection, and the immunity period is 1 year.
(2) The general public should be informed that pigs that die from unknown causes must not be eaten, and even more must not be transported to the market for sale; they should be handled after inspection by veterinary personnel. It is forbidden to discard carcasses anywhere; they should be deeply buried at designated locations. Slaughterhouses and meat processing plants should strengthen anthrax quarantine work and strictly implement veterinary hygiene measures.
(3) After swine anthrax occurs, it should immediately be reported to the competent department, the epidemic situation should be quickly clarified, a diagnosis should be made, firm measures should be taken, and the epidemic should be eliminated as quickly as possible. (1) Delimit the epidemic area and epidemic point, carry out isolation and blockade, and strictly implement all measures during the blockade; after half a month from the death or recovery of the last diseased pig, report to higher authorities for approval to lift the blockade, and carry out a major cleaning and disinfection. (2) Immediately inject diseased pigs and suspected diseased pigs with anti-anthrax serum, or inject it simultaneously with antibiotics, for prevention and treatment. (3) Strictly disinfect contaminated pens, feeding and management utensils, etc.; contaminated feed, feces, and waste should be burned; carcasses should be incinerated or deeply buried (the bacteria die due to carcass decomposition, but hidden dangers may remain, preserving the pathogen). (4) During slaughter inspection, when swine anthrax is found, immediately stop the production process, disinfect the entire plant or workshop, and according to regulations carry out harmless treatment of a certain number of slaughtered pigs before and after the detected diseased pig. (5) Strengthen the protective work of personnel; once anyone becomes ill, send them to the hospital for treatment as early as possible.