Cysticercosis is a dangerous invasive disease in pigs that can be asymptomatic for a long time and cause major economic losses to farmers. How helminth spreads, how to detect it and how to prevent infection - information in the article.
Pathogen
Pigs are infected with two types of cysticerci:
Cellulose cysticercosis
Cysticercus cellulosa (cellulose cysticercosis) develops after the penetration into the body of a pig of eggs of a pork tapeworm.
A single cysticercus is a bubble up to 15 mm in diameter, filled with liquid. On the inner surface of the bladder is the head of the cestode - scolex with fixation organs (hooks and suction cups).
The prevalence of helminths is affected by seasonality - in the spring-autumn period, pigs become infected with Finnosis most often. The reason for this lies in the fact that cestode eggs can be stored for a long time in a humid environment and at a temperature of approximately 18 ° C.
Usually, helminths affect muscle tissue, less commonly various organs, the brain, spinal cord, and lower limbs of pigs.
The most common localization of parasites is the upper body:
- head area - chewing muscles, tongue;
- occipital and shoulder region;
- a heart.
Cysticercosis tenuicole
Another variety is Cysticercus tenuicollis (tenuicolol, thin-necked). It is a bubble on the leg. The size of the bladder varies from 0.5 cm (pea) to 5 cm (chicken egg) in diameter. The bubble consists of a liquid with a scolex inside, which is armed with two hooks and a proboscis.
Cysticercus tenuicollis pigs are infected at any time of the year. The disease is most susceptible to young individuals.
Tenuicolol finnosis is found in the liver, because the eggs of the parasite, after penetrating the bloodstream, enter this organ and mature in it for several months. Larvae can also be found in the omentum, pleural and peritoneal areas.
Disease development cycle
Pigs are an intermediate host for helminths.
In helminth infections with cellulose cysticercosis, common to humans and pigs, the development chain is as follows: man-pig-man.
Stages of the disease:
- Eggs mature in the small intestine of a person.
- They enter the environment with end products of metabolism (feces).
- Pigs become infected through water, contaminated household items, and products on pastures and near farm land.
The spread of the disease contributes to the lack of toilets in the surrounding area and the lack of sanitary standards.
- To develop the disease, tapeworm eggs need to get into the stomach. This is important because the gastric juice, acting on the shell of the eggs, releases the larvae, which subsequently penetrate the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body for further development.
- At the last stage of development, a person becomes infected through poorly cooked pig meat.
- Once in the human body, cysticerci reach a mature stage in 90 days and the cycle resumes.
With thin-necked cysticercosis, the stages of the disease are similar, the difference is only in the main host, as the carrier of the sexually mature form of the helminth. In this case, the infection comes from various carnivores:
- dogs
- wild predators, such as foxes, wolves.
Here the chain looks like a predatory animal-pig-predatory animal.
The most common source of infection for pigs is the dogs that guard the farm.
General symptoms, external signs
Signs of infection with parasites of the body of pigs are violations in the work of many organs.
In animals, the following symptoms are observed:
- violation of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea - the larvae injure and violate the integrity of the intestinal mucosa, as well as inhibit the production of beneficial bacteria by their activity;
- myositis - inflammation of the muscles in places of localization of a large number of eggs;
- allergic reactions in the form of edema of the extremities and itching of the skin (metabolic products of the cysticerci, entering the bloodstream, poison the entire body);
- the work of the heart is disturbed, cyanosis (blueing) of the mucous membranes is observed;
- small capillaries are injured along which the parasite moves;
- weakness, trembling, nervous disorders - talk about toxicity with severe invasion;
- paresis of limbs (impaired motor activity);
- elevated temperature - more than 40 ° C.
- acute hepatitis - during the migration of Cysticercus tenuicollis from the liver.
Weak invasion may be asymptomatic.
Diagnostics
Even with modern development in the field of various studies, cysticercosis can be detected only posthumously. A veterinarian visually evaluates the post-slaughter carcasses of pigs: examines them in detail and makes tissue sections to detect Finn.
Based on the veterinary and sanitary rules, when identifying an invasion, the following actions suggest:
- If more than 3 live or dead parasites are detected in the context of an area of about 40 square meters. see, the head and internal organs except the intestines are disposed of. It is allowed to use internal fat and fat, which is subjected to salting, steaming or freezing for disinfection.
- If the cysticerci is less than 2 - the carcass, heart, head, liver are disinfected and sent for processing.
After disinfection, the viability of the Finns is checked. To do this, do the following procedure:
- prepare a solution of saline and bile (1: 1 ratio) at a temperature of 40 ° C;
- cysticerci are separated from the organs, the egg shell is incised and placed in the prepared solution;
- the solution is placed in a thermostat;
- after 15 minutes, inspect the contents and reveal the percentage of the revealed scolexes.
If cysticercosis is detected in a particular pig farm, the veterinarian is required to notify superior veterinary structures and prohibit the sale of contaminated meat.
Treatment and prevention
Treatment of cysticercosis is not economically viable - drugs do not have the necessary effectiveness.
The general rules of prevention are:
- timely deworming of existing guard dogs;
- prevent the possibility of penetration of stray and wild animals into the territory of the economy;
- the need to equip latrines in the territory of the economy in accordance with sanitary standards;
- conducting explanatory work with owners and workers of livestock farms regarding the danger of the disease, infection pathways and transmission of the pathogen.
Preventive measures in the conditions of small farms, in addition to those described above, are as follows:
- an uncontrolled animal diet is excluded across the farm and near settlements;
- for slaughter, they organize specially equipped points outside the farm;
Slaughter of animals on the territory of farms is strictly prohibited.
- meat that has not passed veterinary control is not allowed for sale.
Prevention rules for large farms also include:
- slaughtering exclusively in designated areas in the presence of veterinarians who conduct veterinary and sanitary examination of pork carcasses;
- persons who have not undergone a medical examination and do not have a special document confirming it are not allowed to work at a pig farm.
The disease is quite dangerous for both pigs and humans. With all the difficulties with diagnosis and treatment, it is still possible to control the disease. For this, farmers need to adhere to the developed sanitary rules for the prevention of infestations and timely conduct the necessary medical examinations of farm workers.