Infectious diseases

Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms, such as viruses or bacteria. The treatments given in this section will alleviate the symptoms of the disease. They will not eliminate the organism that causes the disease.

Enteric colibacillosis

- Death is common.
- Spread by contact with sick animals.

Symptoms

- Profuse watery diarrhea, yellowish in color and may contain mucus.
- Dehydration.
- Shivering.
- Piglets are weak.
- Commonly found in nursing piglets and weanlings.

Prevention

- Thoroughly wash sow before farrowing.

- Proper hygiene and sanitation.

- Make sure every piglet suckles colostrum from the sow.

- One to two weeks before farrowing, feed fecal material or intestines from dead piglets to the pregnant sow.

- Provide good housing, adequate bedding and source of heat to piglets.

Treatment

- See Diarrhea and dehydration, page 9.

Foot-and-mouth disease

Many young animals fall sick or die of this disease. It spreads by air or contact. People may serve as mechanical carriers.

Symptoms

- Wound lesions or blisters in the mouth, snout, feet and udder.
- Lack of appetite.
- Fever.
- Salivation.
- Lameness or limping.

- Difficulty in walking due to pain caused by the lesions on the feet.

Prevention

- Vaccinate regularly.
- Isolate sick animals and avoid contact with other animals.
- Disinfect pen area of infected animals.

Treatment

- See Wounds.

Hog cholera

This disease affects pigs of all ages. It appears suddenly and spreads rapidly through direct or indirect contacts with sick animals. It has a high death rate, sometimes reaching 100 percent in young piglets.

Symptoms

- Weakness.
- Loss of appetite.
- High fever.
- Discharge from the eyes and nose.
- Constipation, followed by diarrhea (bad odor).
- Difficulty in breathing.
- Paralysis and convulsions.

- Pigs pile up or huddle together.

Prevention

- Dead animals should be burned and buried with lime or wood ash.
- Cook kitchen scraps before feeding.
- Provide regular vaccination.
- Disinfect pen area of infected animals.

Treatment

No indigenous treatment is recorded.

Pasteurellois

Symptoms

- Fever.
- Rapid breathing.
- Coughing.
- Discharge from the nose.
- Swaying walk as rear end is very weak.
- Bluish discoloration of skin, especially in ears, snout, abdomen and inside thighs.

Prevention

- Avoid stress to the animal like crowding, heat, etc.
- Proper hygiene and sanitation.

Treatment

- See Coughs and colds.

Swine dysentery

- This disease affects all ages. It is especially common in animals weighing 60-70 kg.
- Spreads by contact with sick animals.

Symptoms

- Mucus and blood appear in diarrhea.
- Alternating between constipation and diarrhea.
- Loss of appetite, with or without fever.
- Weakness and loss of weight.
- Dehydration.

Prevention

- Avoid contact with infected animals.
- Proper hygiene and sanitation.
- Isolate infected animals.
- Prevent feces of infected animals from mixing with feed.

Treatment

- See Diarrhea and dehydration.

Swine erysipelas

- Mortality may be very high. Death may occur up to 6 days after the first sign of illness.
- The disease is spread through contact with sick animals.

Symptoms

- Fever.
- Animals walk stiffly on their toes.
- Animals lie on their chest and abdomen.
- Animals lie separately instead of in groups.
- Purplish areas of discoloration in the ears, snout and abdomen.
- Diamond-shaped skin lesions all over the body, which may peel off in prolonged cases.

Prevention

- Cook kitchen scraps before feeding. These may contain infected materials that can affect the health of the animals.

- Proper hygiene and sanitation.

- Isolate infected animals.

- In Northern Philippines, new animals which are introduced into communities are allowed to be reviewed by other members of the community to ensure that the animals are not diseased or do not possess undesirable characteristics. This can serve as an indigenous method of quarantine.

Treatment

No indigenous treatment is recorded.

Warning

Swine erysipelas can affect people; avoid or minimize contact with affected animals.

Swine influenza

- Usually occurs in cold weather.
- Spread by air and contact.

Symptoms

- Difficulty in breathing.
- Animal is inactive.
- Fever.
- Coughing and discharge from the nose and eyes.
- Lack of appetite.
- Weakness.

Prevention

- Keep animals away from damp conditions.
- Provide adequate housing and bedding, especially for piglets.

Treatment

- See Coughs and colds, Lack of appetite and Fever.

Swine pox

- Occurs frequently in 3-6 week-old pigs, but all ages may be affected.
- Spreads through lice or by contact with skin blisters of affected animals.

Symptoms

- Skin blisters or lesions.
- Small red areas on the face, ear, inner thighs and abdomen. These later develop into scabs.
- Lack of appetite.
- Mild fever.

Prevention

- Vaccinate.
- Proper hygiene and sanitation.
- Eradicate lice and other biting insects (see Lice, page 29).

Treatment

These treatments are to help heal the wounds only. They do not eliminate the organism that causes the disease.

- Prepare a decoction of 1 whole fresh turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) in 1 liter of water. Use a cloth to wash the whole body with the liquid.(India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)

- See also additional treatments in Wounds, page 43.