Lesson 16

A. Erysipelas in Swine

Erysipelas is an infectious disease, of pigs and appears in an acute, septicaemic form often accompanied by diamond shaped skin lesions and a chronic form manifested by a non-suppurative arthritis and a vegetative endocarditis.

Erysipelas in pigs occurs generally throughout the world.

Pigs of all ages are susceptible although adult pigs are most likely to be affected. Recently farrowed sows seem to be particu­larly susceptible. When the strain is virulent pigs of all ages, even sucklings a few weeks old, develop the disease. Immune sows are capable of giving sufficient antibodies in the colostrum to their piglets for some weeks.

Soil contamination occurs through the faeces of affected or carrier pigs. Other sources, of infection include infected animals of other species, and birds. Since the organism can pass through the stomach without losing viability, carrier animals are capable of re-infection the soil continuously. The organism is highly resistant to most, environmental influences and is not readily destroyed by chemical disinfection.

Vocabulary List

erysipelas (n) рожа, рожистое воспаление accompany (v) сопровождать

diamond (n) алмаз, бриллиант suppurative (a) гнойный

vegetative endocarditis бородавчатый эндокардит adult (a) взрослый

recently (adv)недавно farrow (v) пороситься

sow (n) свинья, свиноматка particularly (adv) особенно

strain (n) биологический штамм virulent (a) ядовитый, вирулентный suckling (n) сосунок sufficient (a) достаточный

colostrum (n) молозиво piglet (n) поросенок

contamination (n) загрязнение, заражение

faeces (n) pl испражнения, кал carrier (n) переносчик

source (n) источникsince (cj) так как, поскольку

through (prep.) через lose (v) (lost) терять

viability (n) жизнеспособность continuous (a) непрерывный environmental (a) окружающий influence (n). влияние

readily (adv) легко, быстро destroy (v) разрушать

Exercise 1. Read the text "Erysipelas in Swine", Part1 answer the following questions to the text in Russian:

1. What are the symptoms of erysipelas?

2. Animals of what ages are most susceptible to the disease?

Exercise 2. Answer the questions in Russian and then in

English:

1. What are the forms of erysipelas?

2. Where does erysipelas occur?

3. Are recently farrowed sows susceptible to the disease?

4. When do sucklings develop the disease?

5. How does soil contamination occur?

6. Why do carrier animals re-infect the soil continuously?

7. Is the organism resistant to most environmental influences? Exercise 3. Translate text 1 into Russian.

B. Erysipelas in Swine

Clinical Findings. Acute form. After an incubation period of 1 to 7 days there is a sudden onset of high fever (up to 108°F or 42° C) which is followed some time later by severe prostration, ' complete anorexia, thirst and occasional vomiting. Initially, affected pigs may be quite active and continue to eat even though the tempe­rature is high. A marked conjunctivitis with profuse ocular discharge may be present. Skin lesions are almost pathognomonic but may not always be apparent. These may take the form of the classical diamond-shaped. After a course of 2 to 4 days the pig recovers or dies with diarrhoea, dyspnoea and cyanosis evident terminally. The mortality rate is capable of reaching 75 per cent but wide variation occurs.

The so-called "skin" form is usually the acute form with more prominent skin localization but less severe signs of septicemia and with a low mortality. The skin lesions disappear in about 10 days without residual effects.

Chronic form. Signs are vague and indistinct except for the joint lesions characteristic of this form of the disease. There may be alopecia, sloughing of the tail and tips of the ears, and a dermatitis in the form of hyperkeratosis of the skin of the back, shoulders and legs.

The joints are obviously enlarged and are usually hot and painful at first but in 2 to 3 weeks are quite firm and without heat. This is especially the case when the arthritis has been, present for some time, allowing healing and ankylosis to develop. Endocarlitis also occurs as a chronic form of the disease with or without arthritis.

Exercise 4. Read and translate text 2 into Russian.

Exercise 5. Render the contents of the text "Erysipelas in Swine", Part II, answering the following questions:

1. Сколько дней длится инкубационный период при острой форме рожи свиней?

2. Какие симптомы характерны для острой формы заболе­вания?

3. Как обычно заканчивается острая форма рожи свиней?

4. Чем характеризуется «кожная» форма рожи?

5. Какие симптомы наблюдаются при хронической форме заболевания?

6. Что происходит с суставами при этом заболевании?