—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 4, 1972 22 Is Hog Cholera Editor’s Note: The crusade to end hog cholera as a threat to hog producers in this country could well be described as in the “mop up” stage. The number of cases is declining sharply. Use of vac cines, which can in some in stances spread the disease, have been banned. Now that the disease is “on the run,” so to speak, it’s more important than ever for producers to stop new outbieaks in order that the disease can be completely eliminated. The following article recently by Dr. D. R. Stauffer, DMV, acting senior staff veterinarian of Swine Disease Programs, Animal and Plant Health Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, offers advice to help in the “mop-up” of hog cholera: Is hog cholera hiding in your freezer or refrigerator? The cooperative State-Federal Hog Cholera Eradication Program is moving into its final phase. Hog cholera cases have cropped from 679 in 1970 to 118 in 1971. Only 18 of last year’s cases occurred within the last six months. Thirty-two States are hog cholera-free as of January l, and the remaining States and Puerto Rico should qualify for that status within the next year. The Local Farmers Join Holstein Assn. Pennsylvania, the second largest dairy state in the Nor theast, took the lead in the number of new members received by the Holstein-Friesian Association of America at the latest meeting of the board with 172 new individuals and firms. New members include; Lancaster County Abram G. and John E. Barley, Washington Boro, Christ L. Beiier, Ronks; Elam S. Beiier, Gap; Enos R. Buckwalter, Trust, Lancaster; J Wilmer Conrad, Willow Street Davis I. Glick, Gap; Paul K. Harnish, Washington Boro; Clifford W. and Marian K Holloway, Peach Bottom; Ray B. Keller, Mount Joy; Jonas B. Lantz, Leola; Jonathan B. Lantz, Gordonville; Michael S. Lapp, Gordonville. Amos F. Miller, Peach Bottom; David E. Reiff, Ephrata; Eli L. Stoltzfus, Lancaster; Isaac S. Stoltzfus, Gap; Willow Valley Farms, Inc., Willow Street; Harold K. Witmer, Manheim. Lebanon County Arnold How long will meat and poultry - fresh, processed or cooked - keep its quality in your refrigerator or freezer? For the answers, get the U. S. Depart ment of Agriculture’s “Meat and Poultry Five” - a series of booklets with many, many helpful tips on how to handle and care for fresh, processed and cooked meats and poultry. For copies of the “Meat and Poultry Five,” write to: Information Division, C&MS, U.S. Dept, of Agriculture, 26 Federal Plaza (Rm 1653), New York, NY 10007. SEED OATS Certified Garry Oats Certified Russel Oats Certified Clintford Oats DEIST SEEDCO. Finest Quality Seeds (since 1925) Mount Joy, Pa. Ph. 653-4121 only significant appearance of the disease recently has been a late-December outbreak in south Texas. With natural hog cholera in fection so rare, this leaves two main sources of the disease; (1) illegal use or improper disposal of vaccines, and (2) feeding of improperly cooked, cholera infected pork to swine. Either of these could be lurking in your freezer. Since both are a potential treat to the hog cholera eradication program animal health officials are concenred that they be eliminated, not forgotten. Current eradication program regulations and procedures guard against the spread of cholera in the field, but only the cooperation of swine producers, veterinarians and bologics users can permantently eliminate these long-lived sources of hog cholera virus. In recent months, officials of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Service and the State Depart ments of Agriculture have launched a major effort to locate every remaining stock of vac cine, serum, or virus tissue culture, and where possible destroy them. Materials needed for export, research, or diagnostic work will be isolated Acres, Inc., Lebanon; Robert R. Lentz, Lebanon; Clarence B. Stoner, Jonestown. Chester County Ralph F. Bronson, Phoenixville; Ruth R. Engel, Parkesburg; William and James Freese, Oxford; Thomas E. McAfee, Glenmoore; Edwin C. Lurking in Your Freezer? from possible entry into swine herds. Nationwide inquiries have turned up 600,000 doses of hog cholera virus and vaccines, located in 34 States. Most were held by bological houses for ex port; however, 72,316 doses were destroyed, including all the virus found in nine States. Sixteen States reported finding no virus in their search. In ad dition to this progress, all bologics manufacturers have voluntarily given up their licenses to produce hog cholera vaccines. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But animal health officials are still concerned about the many freezers and refrigerators not covered so far in the search for virus. How many producers still have some vaccine left over from earlier days, when it was the only way to guard against the disease? How many veterinarians or pharmacists have supplies stuck away and forgotten? How many diagnostic and research laboratories still have virus stocks? How many still use them in their work? How many farmers have frozen pork over a year old? Frozen pork that could be fed to hogs in garbage at some future date? Questions like these do not let Todd, Spring City. York County Thomas A. Boyer, York; David M. Gross, Red Lion; Thomas E. Johnson, Airville; Bessie M. Kimmel, Dillsburg; Elvin G. and Irene Molison, Hanover; Gladys B. Van Lieu, Dillsburg. leaders of the eradication program sleep any better. As long as potentially infected pork and virulent bologics are abroad in the land, hog cholera can return. What do you do about it? Don’t feed raw garbage or pork scraps to your hogs. If you do practice garbage feeding, cook all materials thoroughly. Don’t dump or dispose of old vaccines. And under no circumstances use vaccines on your swine—it’s illegal and a good way to infect your herd. If you do have old vaccines, contact State or Federal animal health officials in your area. Report the amount and description of the material. Officials will pick it up and have it destroyed by one of the safe, approved methods. If it is impossible to arrange for official collection of the virus or vaccine, the material can be destroyed in iti original con tainer by one of three methods: Autoclaving—Cook at a high temperature in a pressure cooker for a half-hour. Incineration—Burn in a fur- We're rolling out the FOR THE ALL-NEW LINE OF FORD LAWN AND GARDEN TRACTORS! FREE! MOWER WITH A NEW FORD LAWN TRACTOR! nace or incinerator at a high temperature. Boiling—Boil for one half-hour or longer. Report the amount and type of materials destroyed. However, the safest disposal is to turn in the materials to State or Federal animal health officials for destruction. Three national hog cholera eradication committees and the Ad Hoc Committee for Hog Cholera Surveillance have all pointed to the existence of hog cholera virus stocks as a major threat to the success of the eradication effort. The only permanent eradication is the one in which there is NO source from which the disease can get another start. Goal of the nationwide hog cholera eradication program is a hog cholera-free United States by December 1972. The goal was set nine years ago when many people thought it couldn’t be done. Now, it looks like we will come very close—within a month or two—if we all remain alert. But the job is not yet done. Go to your freezer of refrigerator ; take a look. Are you hiding the next case of hog cholera? UNCASTER EORD TRACTOR INC 2166 Willow Street Pike Lancaster, Penna. Ph, 464-2746
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