Erysipelas

21.4.2 Erysipelas Note: The change to pitch (12) and font (6) must be converted manually.

Erysipelas is a bacterial disease of pigs. There are two forms of the disease: acute and chronic. It is found in most countries of the world.Symptoms:

Acute form:

 High fever  Heavy breathing  Hot and swollen joints  Skin discoloration (red and purple), particularly on the ears, snout and abdomen  Diamond-shaped, raised, reddish areas on the skin all over the body (particularly the back and sides)

 Death within 6 days Chronic form:

 Diamond-shaped raised reddish areas on the skin all over the body  Tips of the ears and tail may die and fall off  Lameness due to arthritis  Fatigue, heavy breathing, and bluish color (instead of a healthy pink) due to damage to the heart valves  Sometimes sudden death related to damage of the heart valves Treatment:

 Penicillin is the drug of choice. If unavailable, try using tetracycline.

Prevention/Control:

 Vaccines are available that can decrease the severity of the illness or protect pigs up to the age they are slaughtered. Breeding pigs should be re-vaccinated every year.