WASTES IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY 



73 



bovine tuberculosis from 4,900 per 100,000 to 70 

 per 100,000 (62). 



Anthrax is a disease of all warm-blooded ani- 

 mals, including man. It is characterized by acute 

 septicemia. The cause is a spore-bearing rod, 

 Bacillvs anthracis. The spores are very resistant 

 and have been known to survive for many decades 

 in the soil, in water, or on hides, and then grow 

 and produce disease when introduced into a suit- 

 able medium. The first vaccine for anthrax, made 

 by Pasteur in 1879, was widely used in many parts 

 of the world for man}- years. Improved products 

 are available today. 



Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani and they 

 or their spores may be in old farming areas, espe- 

 cially ones which were heavily manured (90). The 

 disease is common in people and horses. Active 

 immunization against tetanus was introduced in 

 1931 (92). 



Blackleg causes greatest losses in cattle-raising 

 and cattle-feeding areas in the Central West and 

 Far West. Occasionally, sheep and goats contract 

 the disease. The spores of Clostridium chauvoei 

 survive in soil for many years (49)- An effective 

 immunizing product against this disease was de- 

 veloped by researchers in Kansas (99). 



The larvae of the parasite known as Dictyocaic- 

 lus viviparus, which cause verminous pneumonia 

 in cattle, may survive several months in the soil 

 (95). 



Swine influenza is an acute, highly contagious, 

 infectious disease caused by the concerted activity 

 of a bacterium, Hemophilus infl/uema< var. suis, 

 and a filterable virus. Swine influenza would die 

 out except for an ingenious mechanism for sur- 

 vival. Eggs laid by female ltmgworms in the lung 

 of swine sick with influenza contain the virus. The 

 eggs are coughed up, swallowed, and passed in the 

 feces. Earthworms ingest the lungworm eggs and 

 the eggs hatch in the earthworm. The lungworms 

 develop through several stages and finally imbed 

 themselves in the hearts and gizzards of the earth- 

 worm. A single earthworm may harbor 2,000 lung- 

 worm larvae which are freed on digestion of the 

 earthworm. Swine root out and eat the earth- 

 worms with relish, thus setting the stage for (lie 

 influenza to infect the animal (102, 103). Sanita- 

 tion of the environment is the only means of 

 control. 



Listeriosis, an infec ious diseasi . ised by a 



bacterial organism that affects sheep, cattle, swine, 

 chickens, and other animals. In large domestic ani- 

 mals, the disease is characterized by central nerv- 

 ous involvements — encephalitis and paralysis. The 

 exact mode of transmission of listeriosis under 

 field conditions is not well known. It may spread 

 b} r contact and by contaminated feed and water. 



Swine erysipelas is present in the United States 

 wherever hogs are raised. The organism, E fysipe- 

 lothrix 7 , h(siop"fhiae, may live in the .-ill as a 

 saprophyte and can multiply under favorable con- 

 ditions of moisture in a soil rich in humus. Anti- 

 biotics alone and antiobiotics with a specific im- 

 mune serum are useful in treating swine erysipe- 

 las. Biologies are available to the veterinarian 



(104). 



Puilorum disease is an infection afflicting the 

 egg-producing organs of the hen or turkey. It is 

 transmitted from the hens to the chick through 

 the egg. Puilorum disease may be spread among 

 chickens and turkeys through breathing or con- 

 suming contaminated dust, down, or other mate- 

 rial in the incubator, shipping box, brooder, or pen. 

 It is also transmitted through consumption of con- 

 taminated litter, feed, or water. It is controlled by 

 detecting and eliminating adult carriers, because 

 the disease is largely eggborne (135) . 



Paratyphoid is spread from bird to bird by con- 

 sumption of litter, feed, or water contaminated 

 with infected droppings (13J-). 



People can get ornithosis (psittacosis) through 

 contact with sick birds (57. ch. 10). Infectious si- 

 nusitis in turkeys may be spread from one genera- 

 tion to the next through infected eggs and by 

 direct contact or indirectly by contaminated air 

 and dust ( 115) . The disease is controlled by det i 

 ing and killing infected adults. 



Infectious bronchitis of chickens is spread b\ 

 direct or indirect contact with infected birds. The 

 air in the poultry house becomes contaminated 

 with the virus attached to dust and this may 

 spread the disease far. It cart enter all except S] 

 cially constructed poultry houses 



Coccidiosis is caused by microscopic ] 

 parasites, which have been known to survive in the 

 soil anil elsewhere for many months ( .' IS). Numer- 

 ous species of coccidia are known and distinct spe- 

 cies account for the economic disease in cattle. 



>ep, and poultry. In general, there are effective 

 methods of treating the disease 



