Swine Brucellosis

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Swine brucellosis is caused by the bacteria Brucella suis, and is herds

closely related to Brucella abortus which causes brucellosis in where hogs have been purchased from, or sold to, will also be
cattle. investigated.

Swine affected by the disease may develop a number of clinical Swine: Validated Brucellosis-Free
signs or they may appear healthy, making laboratory testing A number of producers don’t depend on luck to keep their
an important diagnostic tool. Infection may move through the herds
herd quickly, so it’s important to handle swine brucellosis as a healthy. Their swine undergo regular testing by a veterinary
“herd disease”. practitioner to attain validated disease-free status by the TAHC.

Boars can shed the bacteria in their semen, so it’s possible Validation offers several advantages:
for disease to be transmitted during sexual service. Infected • Animals can be moved with fewer regulatory restrictions
swine of both sexes may experience short-term or permanent • Better marketability for the animals
sterility. Infected sows may abort or give birth to weak piglets. • Concerns about disease in breeding animals are greatly
In some cases, infection may cause lameness. reduced

Texas is currently considered Swine Brucellosis free for large To begin the herd validation process, a producer must sign an
“commercial” herds, although infection continues to be found agreement with the TAHC and find a veterinary practitioner to
at times in smaller backyard herds. In these instances, infection perform the service. To obtain an agreement, call your TAHC
is usually the result of exposure to feral swine. Swine Brucellosis Region office or Austin headquarters at 1-800-550-8242 and
is known to be prevalent in Texas’ feral swine population. For contact your personal veterinarian.
this reason, TAHC rules require that all sexually intact domestic
swine, 6 months of age and older, have a negative Brucellosis To achieve or renew the validation all test results must be
and Pseudorabies test within 30 days of change of ownership. negative. The owner can select from one of three testing
Feral swine are not allowed to be sold or moved alive except to schedules.
terminal locations such as slaughter plants, feral swine holding
facilities, or approved hunting facilities. 1. Testing All Swine: Every 10 to 12 months, test all sexually
intact swine six months of age or older in the herd. For
Infection Detection revalidation, retest eligible animals every 10 to 12 months.
In Texas, a statewide “surveillance program” is used to help 2. Incremental testing: Every 80 to 105 days, test 25 percent
find infection. At the slaughter plant, blood samples for disease of the herd’s sexually intact swine that are six months of
testing are collected from mature sows and boars which can be age or older. During the12-month validation period, all
traced back to their herd of origin. All sexually intact swine, 6 eligible animals must be tested.
months of age and older, are also tested at livestock markets. 3. Incremental testing: Every 25 to 35 days, test 10 percent of
A TAHC inspector draws a blood sample at the market which is herd’s sexually intact swine ages six months or older.
then forwarded to the Texas State-Federal Laboratory for Swine
Brucellosis and Pseudorabies testing. Each eligible animal in the herd must be tested once during the
10-month testing period.
After sample collection, culled breeding swine may be moved
to slaughter. Non-slaughter breeding swine are allowed to Protect Swine from Brucellosis
move to their new premise under a TAHC-issued “Hold order”, Keep feral swine OUT by maintaining good fences. If feral swine
and are to remain there until the test results are complete. The exposure occurs in your herd, contact your private veterinarian
Hold Order restrictions on the tested swine are released as or the TAHC to discuss diagnostic options.
soon as negative results are known. • Purchase only tested animals or those from validated free
herds.
Infection Eradication • Isolate newly acquired stock for 30 days and considerm
When infection is detected, owners of infected herds will be having them retested.
contacted by a state or federal veterinarian to develop a “herd • Don’t share a boar, or have the animal tested prior to using
plan” for getting rid of the disease. This plan will usually include it for breeding purposes
a testing schedule for the remainder of the herd. All source Continued on next page
Brucellosis Can Affect Humans
Brucellosis bacteria can affect humans, causing serious illness. 3. Wear safety goggles when possible to keep fluids out of
That’s why it’s so important to take precautions and to recognize your eyes .When you’ve finished the chore, disinfect the
the signs of human infection. goggles andgloves or throw them away.

In humans, brucellosis is called “undulant fever”. The name 4. If a sow aborts, handle the fetus carefully and dispose of
“undulant fever” comes from the chills and fever that come it by burning or burial. This will kill bacteria and prevent it
and go, or undulate, throughout a 24-hour period. Other typical from spreading to the other swine in the herd--or to you
symptoms include fatigue, body aches, headaches, weight loss Disinfect any equipment used to handle the fetus.
or flu-like malaise. 5. Practice good hygiene after working with your herd. Wash
your hands with an antibacterial soap and change and
Disease Transmission to Humans wash soiled clothing. This will help stop the spread of the
People contract brucellosis by coming in contact with fluids or brucellosis bacteria--or any other “germs” your swine may
blood from infected animals. When an infected sow delivers have!
or aborts, the piglets may be covered with millions of the
brucellosis bacteria. The bacteria can also be present in the If you suspect that you have been exposed to brucellosis
blood of infected swine. through herd management or have been in contact with feral
swine, seek evaluation from your family practitioner.
The following biosecurity measures are recommended:
1. Wear protective gloves when handling piglets or fetuses to
prevent bacteria from entering your skin through a scratch
or cut.

2. Protect yourself when processing swine by always wearing

disposable gloves and other protective clothing. Hunters
should take the same precautions to help preventing
contraction of swine brucellosis while field dressing
infected feral hogs.

Information provided by the

Texas Animal Health Commission
P.O. Box 12966 - Austin, TX 78711-2966
www.tahc.texas.gov
800-550-8242

March 2013