HOG CHOLERA: PREVENTION AND TREATMENT. 



27 



In the counties where the simultaneous inoculation was used on all 

 apparently healthy hogs in infected herds there were comparatively 

 few cases of recurrence of disease, and when this was found it took 

 place among hogs which received the serum alone. In other words, 

 some hogs supposed to be infected when treated and which therefore 

 received the serum alone, were probably not actually sick of cholera. 

 They were protected for the time being, but later lost the immunity 

 and contracted cholera from the infection which remained on the 

 premises. In those herds where the sick hogs received serum alone 

 and the apparently healthy hogs received the simultaneous inocula- 

 tion, perhaps the results would have been still better, so far as re- 

 currence of disease is concerned, if hogs showing temperatures above 

 104° F. had also been given the simultaneous inoculation. Table 2 

 indicates this possibility. 



When it is considered that the hog lots and buildings on a farm 

 where cholera exists are already infected with the germs of the dis- 

 ease and that they may remain so for a long time after treatment, it 

 seems that there is much to be said in favor of giving the simul- 

 taneous inoculation to all apparently healthy hogs (temperature 104° 

 F. or less) and the serum alone to the remainder, remembering, of 

 course, that the destruction of severely sick hogs is sometimes ad- 

 visable because the serum treatment can not be expected to cure very 

 many such cases. 



EFFECT OF TREATMENT ON PREGNANT SOWS. 



The question frequentl}' is raised as to the advisability of admin- 

 istering serum and virus, or even serum alone, to pregnant sows. 

 Decision in this respect probably should be governed somewhat by 

 the condition of the herd. If infection has already appeared it is 

 generalty conceded that without treatment the loss will be from 80 

 to 85 per cent of the entire herd and that pregnant sows will likely 

 abort, while sows that live through the disease will not breed until 

 they have recovered fully. Therefore, there can be no question as to 

 the advisability of treating sows in infected herds, regardless of the 

 stage of pregnancy. Even though there be no hope of saving the 

 litter there is a possibility of saving the sows and of enabling them 

 to recover more rapidly and in better condition than if they were 

 not treated. 



The method of treatment may be a matter of choice, as the results 

 are practically the same. Statistics on the subject are compiled in 

 the following tables, Table 6 showing the results of treatment of 

 pregnant sows in infected herds and Table 7 the same in healthy 

 herds : 



