No. 4.] REPORT OF CATTLE BUREAU. 297 



Contagious Diseases of Swine. 



There has been very little complaint during the year 1 905 

 of contaaious diseases among- swine in this Commonwealth. 

 But 20 outbreaks of diseases of a communicable character 

 affecting the porcine population have l)een called to the 

 attention of the Cattle Bureau, and 2 of these occurred in 

 the same herd ; the surviving animals in this herd were re- 

 leased from quarantine in the middle of June, and about a 

 month later were again quaiantined l^y the inspector of ani- 

 mals upon the reappearance of disease among them. 



Fifteen of the reported outbreaks can be classified under 

 the o;eneric name of hoo- cholera. In a few instances the 

 animals appear to have suffered from true hog cholera or 

 some malady bearing a cdose resemblance to it ; in others the 

 troul^le seemed to 1)e that form of septic disease called swine 

 plague. These diseases involved about 1,000 swine, of 

 which niunber about 350 died. The fatalities might have 

 exceeded this number if owners had not been advised to 

 hurry all marketable swine to the slaughterhouse, and realize 

 upon them before time enough had elapsed for them to develop 

 disease. 



In outbreaks of hog cholera or swine plague the sick should 

 be separated from the healthy, and those fit for the market 

 should be sent to the shambles before they have time to de- 

 velop the disease. AYhen the disease subsides, the pens should 

 be disinfected. If city swill or swill from public institu- 

 tions is fed, it should be cooked before using; and all dish 

 water containing washing powders and the like should he 

 disposed of separate h^, and not be mixed with the swill. If 

 pigs develop swine plague from putrefying swill, a change 

 of food is a benefit to mild cases that may recover, and may 

 also protect healthy animals from infection. If the owner 

 of a herd of swine infected with hog cholera or swine plague 

 is breeding animals to sell to his neighbors, the animals 

 should all be quarantined until the disease subsides and the 

 pens have been properly disinfected, the only exception 

 being to allow him to remove to the slaughter house the pigs 

 that are ready for pork, in order to save him as nmch loss 

 as possible. 



