PUERTO RICO AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 
MAYAGUEZ, PUERTO RICO 
Under the supervision of the 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 38 
Washington, D. C. March 1936 
PARASITES AND PARASITIC DISEASES OF SWINE 
IN PUERTO RICO 1 
P.y II. L. Van \'<>i.ki.m:i i:<.. ParaHtOlOfftti 
< (INTKNTS 
Introduction. 1 
Occurrence and distribution of parasites l 
Damage by parasites 2 
Shade 2 
Preventive measures 3 
Bare-lot method of raising pips . 4 
Treatment for parasites.. 5 
Page 
ernal parasites 5 
Protozoa 5 
Lunpworm 6 
Kidney worm. ..... 6 
Hookworm 8 
Thorn-headed worm 9 
Pork measles or pepita 10 
Other internal parasites. . 11 
ernal parasites 12 
INTRODUCTION 
The most serious diseases affecting -w ine in Puerto Rico seem to 
be bog cholera, intestinal disorders (enteritis), and parasitic infesta- 
tions. The fact that as ;i rule there are no large herds of swine in 
Puerto Rico, and hence no occasion for crowding, tends to restrict 
the spread and prevalence of infection- disea>es and many parasites. 
However, this advantage is largely offset by the hick of care and 
attention given to these animals. Some of the problems of swine 
raising are to increase the numbers of the animals, improve the 
quality of the stock, and to raise a higher percentage to profitable 
maturity. 
OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF PARASITES 
In many places, especially in the more temperate climates, the 
ascarid or large roundworm is a menace to the swine industry. In 
Puerto Rico, the kidney worm is probably as injurious to the pig and 
potentially as serious to the industry as the ascarid. If many hogs 
are raised on a farm or on the same plat of ground, the most careful 
control measures are necessary. The ascarid is most common and 
injurious among young pigs. Mature hogs do not lose their suscep- 
tibility to infection by the kidney worm, and serious infestations 
' Acknowledgment is made especially of the constructive and very helpful criticism of the manuscript 
by Maurice C. Hall and F. C. Bishopp of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
4 1470° :?6 1 
