|
| News |
|
| Kill Feral Hogs, But Handle Them Carefully For Your Health and Your Dogs’ |
| |
| By Joanna Davis, D.V.M. & Melissa Ivey, MPH |
|
Posted Tuesday September 27 2011, 11:50 AM |
| |
Do you ever field-dress feral hogs without wearing gloves? Do you forget to wash your hands with soap and water after handling hogs or their meat? Do you hunt with dogs or feed your dogs uncooked hog meat or trimmings? If so, you and your dogs may be at risk for serious illness.
Wild hogs carry many diseases that can be transmitted to humans, dogs and domestic pigs. Swine brucellosis, pseudorabies and parasitic diseases are the most serious. You can minimize your risk of disease by taking precautions and understanding the signs and symptoms of infection.
Brucella is the bacterial organism that causes brucellosis and can affect many species, including humans, swine, dogs, cattle and goats. Swine brucellosis may cause abortions in sows, severe illness and weakness in young pigs and infertility in boars. When feral hogs are allowed to reproduce with domestic pigs, decreased reproduction rates from infected sows and boars and illness in young animals can decrease profits for swine producers. Infected swine are carriers for life; there is no effective treatment. The organism is easily spread through reproductive discharges, afterbirth, blood, urine, saliva and other tissues.
Dogs may contract brucellosis from feral hogs, just as humans can. This is especially relevant for hunters who hunt hogs using dogs, as dogs make up most of the diagnosed cases of brucellosis each year. Most of these infected dogs were used for hunting feral swine, but some non-hunting dogs became infected by contact with hunting dogs through urine, breeding or by eating uncooked hog meat or scraps.
The signs of brucellosis in dogs are similar to those in pigs. Female dogs (bitches) may not be able to get pregnant, may lose their litters late in pregnancy (45 days after breeding or later) or may have an unusual discharge that lasts for a long time after whelping or aborting a litter. Puppies born alive may be weak and die within days. Male dogs may have an inflamed prostate, testicles that are either very swollen or shrunken in size, or they may be unable to get a bitch pregnant. One or both testicles may be affected. Both dogs and bitches may have intermittent fever and enlarged lymph nodes or be sluggish and unwilling to breed. The bacteria can cause very serious bone infections that may go undetected for a long time and cause severe joint or back pain.
The spread of brucellosis through dog breeding can be prevented. Veterinarians can test dogs to determine whether or not the dog is infected. Infected dogs should not be bred and should be spayed or neutered immediately to minimize the spread of disease. Infected dogs must be treated with a long course of antibiotics and often are not cured. Relapses are common, and dogs may continue to shed bacteria, potentially infecting other dogs and people. In most cases, dogs with brucellosis must be euthanized because of the risk of infection to their owners.
The best way to avoid having to put down a beloved pet or hunting dog is to prevent your dog from becoming infected. Do not feed uncooked hog meat or scraps to dogs, and try to reduce the amount of contact dogs have with feral hogs.
Take catch-dogs off of hogs as soon as possible, and immediately clean and disinfect any bites or scratches your dogs suffer during a hunt. Rinsing your dogs’ mouths may reduce the risk of infection if done immediately after contact with feral. Dental rinses containing chlorhexidine are available at pet stores and veterinary clinics.
Use a disinfectant to clean kennels daily, and take caution so urine is not splashed into other kennels, potentially infecting other dogs. Dogs used to hunt feral hogs should be tested once or twice per year to detect early infection. Any animal known to be infected should be immediately isolated from other dogs. If you suspect your dog may be infected, contact your veterinarian.
Humans can also get brucellosis from wild hogs. Cases are reported every year. Most people are infected with the swine strain, although a few cases originating from goats have also been reported. People are infected most commonly by contact with blood, fluid or tissue while field-dressing or butchering an infected feral hog. Humans can also get brucellosis by eating undercooked meat from an infected hog.
Symptoms of brucellosis in humans include flu-like symptoms and may start as little as a week or as long as a few months after contact with the bacteria. Common symptoms are fever, chills, sweating, headache, low appetite, fatigue, joint pain and muscle pain. If you have been handling hogs or hog meat and you have any of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Let them know that you have had contact with feral hogs.
Brucellosis in humans can be effectively treated, unlike in swine and dogs. Antibiotics are prescribed for at least six weeks. If medication is taken correctly, most people will not have relapses. However, in a few cases, brucellosis causes long-term illness in humans.
You can protect yourself by practicing safe field-dressing and food preparation techniques. For more information on brucellosis, the Center for Disease Control’s website at <www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/brucellosis/>.
For information on pseudorabies, another illness carried by feral hogs, see page 20.
Protect Yourself While Handling Hogs
When dressing or butchering a hog:
• Use clean, sharp knives to reduce risk of slipping and cutting yourself.
• Wear rubber or latex gloves and eye protection when handling hogs or their meat.
• Avoid direct contact (bare skin) with fluid or organs from the hog.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after handling hogs.
When working with feral hog meat:
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Clean all working surfaces with hot, soapy water.
• Separate raw pork from cooked pork and other foods.
• Cook pork to an internal temperature of 160° F using a food thermometer.
• Chill raw or cooked pork promptly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
