318 ACUTE GENERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



Protective Inoculation. — Nielsen and Jensen have employed 

 protective inoculation to combat braxy, the former using 

 dried, powdered kidney substance from a fatal case, while the 

 latter used either treated blood serum cultures or blood serum 

 from artificially immunized horses or cultures one month old 

 which were grown in sugar bouillon. Apparently good results 

 have been obtained in Iceland with preventive vaccination 

 (see Bacteriology). 



SWINE ERYSIPELAS. 



Definition. — Swine erysipelas is an infectious disease due to 

 a specific microorganism. It has a varied course and appears 

 clinically as an acute septicemia, a secondary skin exanthema, 

 or a chronic, valvular heart disease. 



Occurrence. — On the continent of Europe the disease is 

 widespread, occurring during the hot months, and in latter 

 years has assumed a more serious form-tlian formerly. In 

 Great Britain swine erysipelas is a benign disease, appearing 

 in the skin form and, as yet, has not assumed serious propor- 

 tions. To date it has not been reported in the United States. 

 In the so-called "diamond disease," so commonly found in 

 American abattoirs, erysipelas bacilli have not yet been 

 determined. 



Etiology.^ — The Bacterium erysipelatis, a fine bacillus found 

 in the acute form of the disease in the blood, skin, and lymph 

 glands. In the chronic form they are found in the diseased 

 tissue, particularly in the valvular vegetations in the heart. 



Natural Infection. — (a) Via the mouth with food and water 

 contaminated with the feces and urine. The blood and flesh 

 are also infectious, (b) Via wounds. 



The disease is usually first introduced by infected hogs 

 or by apparently healthy "germ carriers," swine which 

 have recently recovered from erysipelas but still carry 

 germs in the bowels and tonsils. Fields on which the 

 bodies of dead hogs have lain or were not buried deep enough 

 or where the feces and urine of diseased animals are deposited 

 are most dangerous sources of infection. The disease is not 

 directly contagious, but is disseminated largely through soil 



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