Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
Anthrax in pigs is relatively rare and it may occur as sudden death. It can also take other forms of presentation, depending on the location of the infection: pharynx anthrax, intestinal anthrax or systemic anthrax. It is very critical to carry out a necropsy in the field because the environment can get contaminated with the spores. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease.
Description
It is a rare disease in most parts of the world; pigs are highly resistant to the infection. Special care must be taken when handling sick animals or carcasses of pigs infected to minimize environmental contamination and because it is a zoonotic disease. There are effective vaccines in some countries for both pigs and humans. There are three forms of clinical manifestation depending on the area of the infection: pharyngeal anthrax, intestinal anthrax, or systemic anthrax. Systemic anthrax is very deadly.
Lactation, nursery and fattening
- Sudden death without symptoms (or with a discolored and swollen neck).
- Fever.
- Feces with blood.
- Nasal hemorrhage.
- Incoordination.
Sows
- Acute disease.
- Fever.
- Respiratory Anxiety.
- Sudden death.
- Sore throat, lymph nodes in the neck and in abdomen increased in size and hemorrhagic.
- Feces with blood.
- Nasal hemorrhage.
- Incoordination.
- The source of infection in sows is usually feed contaminated with spores of Bacillus anthracis.
- Anthrax should be suspected if a pig is found dead and at post-mortem examination hemorrhagic tissues are found and lymph nodes in neck and abdomen are red and swollen.
- In know areas where anthrax is common, necropsy is strongly discouraged to minimize contamination of the environment with highly resistant Anthrax spores.
- Prevent access to soil or feed contaminated with spores.
- Penicillin is effective.
- It is possible to vaccinate although it is rare in pigs because of their natural resistance to the disease.