CHAPTER XXV 

 HOG CHOLERA 



THE most important communicable disease of hogs is 

 known as hog cholera, supposed to have been introduced 

 from Europe in breeding animals. The first outbreak in 

 this country of which record exists is that which occurred 

 in Ohio in 1833. Since that time the disease has spread 

 to all parts of the country. In the corn-growing States 

 the losses occasioned by it are enormous. In the interval 

 from 1894 to 1912 only eleven of the 92 counties of Indiana 

 lost less than 5 per cent, yearly of the annual hog crop, 38 

 lost between 5 and 10 per cent., 30 between 10 and 15 per 

 cent., 12 between 15 and 20 per cent., and one county more 

 than 20 per cent. It is estimated that 85 per cent, of the 

 losses incurred in the hog industry are due to this disease. 

 From these figures it is apparent that hog cholera places 

 an enormous tax on the swine industry of the country. 



This disease, like foot-and-mouth disease, is one that 

 presents high and low tides. A widespread outbreak oc- 

 curred in 1886-7, another in 1894 and in the years there- 

 after, and still another began about 1911 and continued 

 for several years. Its gradual spread from south to north 

 is shown in the following figures, which present the per- 

 centage of the annual hog crop lost through cholera: 



1912 1913 



Iowa 10 25.5 



Minnesota 5.5 21.4 



Nebraska 11 17.5 



South Dakota 3.8 23.0 



North Dakota 2 7.5 



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