Occurrence. Etiology. gj^ 



Bacillus erysipelatis suis, which is found in the blood of the 

 affected animals. 



History. The disease which until the eighties was not distin- 

 guished from anthrax was first studied by Pasteur & Thuillier (1882). 

 These investigators did not establish the etiology of the disease, since 

 they accepted as its cause the eight-shaped bacterium which was first 

 recognized by Detmers. Nevertheless their investigations resulted in 

 the preparation of a satisfactory serum for practical immunizations. 

 The bacillus of erysipelas was discovered by Lofifler in 1885, who 

 together with Schiitz differentiated the disease from hog cholera. The 

 differentiation had, however, also previously been made by Eggeling 

 from his clinical observations. Later the etiological knowledge was 

 advanced by the work of Lydtin & Schottelius, Bang, Jensen, Preisz, 

 Lorenz, Voges and Schiitz, while Lorenz, Leclainche and Schiitz worked 

 extensively on the problem of serum immunization. 



Occurrence. Swine erysipelas occurs everywhere on the 

 European continent, and is usually prevalent in the infected 

 territory in summer, with varied severity in an enzootic 

 form, and not infrequently epizootically. During the last dec- 

 ades the disease has become more widespread as a result of 

 the propagation of pure-bred animals. The disease usually 

 appears during the warmer periods, increases in intensity 

 during the course of the summer, and abates at the approach 

 of autumn; whereas, during the winter only sporadic cases 

 are observed. 



In Germany erysipelas is very extensive. Since the inauguration of com- 

 pulsory reporting, the number of infected townships increased from 8,491 in 1897 to 

 21,522 in 1907; and the number of individual infections in hogs from 3.3,950 to 

 75,619, of which 80% died or were killed. During the last years the disease raged 

 in the Prussian government districts, particularly in Posen, Oppeln,- Bromberg, 

 Marienwerder, Liegnitz, and Breslau. 



In France the disease also occurs extensively. Optimistic figures show that 

 the annual losses amount to at least 100,000 hogs valued at over $1,000,000 (Nocard 

 & Leclainche). 



In Austria the disease is more prevalent in Bohemia, Galicia; also in Moravia 

 and Southern Austria; while in the Alpine countries the erysipelas invasions 

 are very slight. During the period from 1891 to 1900 the number of infected 

 districts increased from 953 to 2,368; that of the affected animals from 9,286, to 

 14,891 (0.25 and 0.32% of all the hogs). 



In Hungary the disease was hardly known three decades ago in the flat lands 

 around the river Tisza, but since that time it has become quite prevalent. In 

 the years between 1899-1908 the average number affected amounted to 30,757 

 hogs, but fluctuated between 7,624 in 254 townships (1899) and 56,455 in 1878 

 townships (1906). 



The disease is also widely spread in Belgium (annually about 2,000 cases), 

 in Holland 1,514 cases in 1908, in Denmark 330 new herds, in Russia 55,996 cases in 

 3,929 townships; further it prevails in the southern European countries, whereas 

 in Sweden and Norway it occurs more rarely, while in Great Britain only sporadi- 

 cally, and in a chronic form. The disease also occurs in the United States of North 

 America, but in the benign form mentioned. [Urticaria but not infectious swine 

 erysipelas occurs in the United States]. 



Etiology. The causative agent, Bacillus erysipelas suis 

 (Bac. rhusiopathiae suis, Kitt) is a very slender, straight or 

 slightly curved, non-motile organism which multiplies by 

 fission, and is from 1 to 1.5'^ long (1-4 to 1-5 the diameter of 



