HOG-LOUSE 651 



louse among the entire drove. The Uce quickly become brushed off 

 by rubbing of the hogs against each other, and by rubbing of the 

 lousy animals against fences, posts, shed walls, etc., and from the 

 ground they very quickly find their way to the body of a second 

 animal, where they attach themselves and begin the deposit of nits 

 in large numbers. 



Dirty, filthy sheds and sleeping quarters give the lice extra 

 comfort and increase their breeding facilities. These sheds, pens, 

 and feed lots become infested with lice, and it then becomes a 

 difficult task to get rid of them, as even though the parasites on the 

 body of the hogs be destroyed by dipping or other means, the 

 animals soon become re-infested from the sheds and pens. It 

 takes a considerable amount of work and persistent effort to rid a 

 premises of lice once they get a good start and establish breeding 

 places. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of lousiness in some cases may be 

 very few. The affected animal will scratch or rub against posts, 

 fences, wagon-wheels, and any other objects which are convenient 

 in order to relieve themselves of the irritation produced by the 

 bites of the parasites. As a result of the constant biting, the animals 

 become very restless and do not eat or sleep well. In young pigs 

 the symptoms of unthriftiness may become quite marked. The 

 skin of pigs being quite thin, it is easy for the louse to feast 

 upon them, and when pigs are present in a herd they im- 

 mediately become favorites with the lice and are liberally 

 attacked. 



As a result of the bites of the lice and the constant rubbing, 

 together with the filthy conditions under which the infested herds 

 are usually kept, various forms of skin disease may develop. 

 Urticaria and eczema are especially common in hogs that are af- 

 fected with Hsematopinus suis. The parasites, by their bites, make 

 openings through the skin, and into these openings irritating germs 

 are carried by dirt that works into them. The result is soon an 

 inflammation of the skin that adds greatly to the animal's discom- 

 fort. This causes more rubbing, more restlessness, loss of appetite, 

 and causes young hogs to become unthrifty, stunted, and very 

 runty in appearance. 



In older animals the general health is not so much affected 



