244 SWINE PRACTICE 



importance. Bull has reported the finding of pyogenic micrococci 

 and streptococci and the B. enteritidis from the tissues and blood of 

 affected animals. This disease may exist as a primary condition or 

 it may occur simultaneously with hog cholera, infectious necrotic en- 

 teritis and other diseases. 



It is possible that parasites, such as lice, fleas, mosquitoes, gnats 

 and flies, may be factors in the causation of this disease. Filaria may 

 also be of some importance in the production of impetigo. 



Lesions. — The first evidence of the disease is the appearance of 

 small elevations on the skin, which may be irregularly scattered over 

 the body, head and legs, but are most commonly observed on the belly, 

 behind the shoulders, on the inner side of the thigh and on the under 

 surface of the neck. These elevations may contain a small droplet 

 of pus or appear as typical papules. In either ease the superficial 

 epithelium desiccates and may desquamate leaving a denuded surface 

 from which small quantities of serum escape, dry and form scabs. 

 When the superficial epithelium does not desquamate it becomes im- 

 pregnated with the escaping serum which desiccates and forms a 

 scab. Several elevations may converge forming areas one-half to 

 two-thirds of an inch in diameter. The scabs may cause depilitation 

 and the lesions may destroy follicles so that an affected animal's coat 

 is irregular and flea-bitten in appearance. 



Symptoms. — Impetigo is manifested in the beginning by a papular 

 or pustular eruption and later by the accumulation of scabs and more 

 or less depilitation. There is usually more or less pruritus in the 

 early stages of the disease. Affected animals are unthrifty in ap- 

 pearance and become emaciated and do not grow or develop. The 

 local lesions persist for several days; the scabs ultimately slough, 

 leaving a small scar. In some cases the hair follicles that were in- 

 volved in the lesions are permanently injured and there will be ab- 

 sence of hair. 



Treatment. — No satisfactory method of treatment has been found. 

 Various solutions have been used as dipping agents but they have 

 not proved of value. Laxatives may be of some service and it is pos- 

 sible that autogenous bacterins may prove valuable as a curative 

 agent. 



ECZEMA 



Eczema is an inflammation of the skin characterized by multiform 

 lesions. Though this disease occurs in swine, it is not very prevalent. 



