Wild Pig Removal Inc. Trapping and Gunsmith Services. WPR Inc. is the only trapping service in Santa Clara County specializing in wild pig trapping and eradications services. Gunsmithing is by appointment, Monday through Friday, 8am-4 pm. Contact Info: 408-460-0327 or tlgall@verizon.net. IRS and State of California Recognized as 501c3.
Wild pigs are large, fast, strong, dangerous animals and prolific breeders. Pigs are very intelligent and they have the ability to carry many diseases which can be hazardous to humans.
FAD's Wild pigs are known carriers of at least 45 different parasites (external and internal) and diseases (bacterial and viral) that pose a threat to livestock, pets, wildlife, and in some cases, human health. Also of concern are foreign animal diseases (FAD): those that have never been in North America or those that were present at one time but have been eradicated during the last 100 years. FADs are of particular concern because they are highly contagious and the continued expansion of wild pig ranges will only help to facilitate their spread if (re)introduced.
Leptospirosis in Feral Swine Leptospirosis infects most mammals and is one of the most widespread diseases in the world. It is caused by a slender, spiral-shaped, motile bacterium called a spirochete. People can become infected with Leptospira bacteria after direct contact with contaminated animal urine or indirectly from contaminated water. Typical symptoms in humans include fever, chills, and intense headaches, but more severe illness can lead to death. USDA tests and about 13 percent of the samples tested positive for Leptospira bacteria suggesting the pathogen is common in feral swine and not limited to certain regions of the country.
Swine Brucellosis The bacterium swine brucellosis (Brucella suis) is transmitted by breeding (semen, reproductive fluids) and ingestion of the bacteria (placenta and aborted fetuses, milk and urine). Swine brucellosis is often called undulant fever when humans contract it because body temperature rises and falls along with flu-like symptoms. Symptoms in swine include abortions, lameness, arthritis, abscesses, infertility, and sometimes death. Swine brucellosis can cause a false positive test for bovine brucellosis (Brucella abortus) in cattle. A positive test for bovine brucellosis results in a quarantine of the cattle herd, ultimately leaving the cattle rancher with a financial loss.
By: Sharon Cummings (KARK) - (1/31/19) Hog hunters are at risk for potential exposure to Brucellosis or Bang's Disease, a bacterial zoonotic disease that is endemic at low levels in our feral hog population, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension. Hog hunters are commonly infected by bare skin contact when butchering feral swine carcasses. The organism can also be contracted by splashing of contaminated fluids into the eyes and by eating undercooked meat since Brucella suis bacterium remains viable in the meat. Pseudorabies Pseudorabies (Herpesvirus suis) can not be contracted by humans; however, domestic livestock and some wildlife species can be affected. The name psuedorabies implies this disease is a form of rabies, but it is actually caused by a herpes and not a rabies virus. Transmission of pseudorabies is by nose-to-nose or sexual contact, and ingestion or inhalation of the virus. Some symptoms can include abortion, mortality among piglets, coughing, and fever among adults. Itching followed by incessant scratching and biting of the skin may occur with affected cattle and dogs. Neurological symptoms may also occur, and the endpoint is death.
Tularemia Tularemia (Francisella tularensis), also known as rabbit fever, can be contracted by humans. Tularemia is transmitted by direct contact through a wound, eating infected meat, and by ticks and biting flies that harbor this disease. Flu-like symptoms along with swollen lymph nodes are some of the symptoms when humans contract tularemia. Pneumonia, blood infections, or meningitis can be caused by severe cases. Tularemia can survive weeks in wet environments. Texas Tech University researchers recently tested 130 feral hogs, and 50% of those tested hogs in Crosby County and 15% in Bell and Coryell Counties showed past exposure or were currently infected with tularemia.
Additional Diseases Feral hog fecal material can transmit additional diseases, which can pose a problem when supplemental feed for livestock or wildlife is placed on the ground, increasing the chances of fecal contamination by hogs. Bacterial diseases (e.g., swine brucellosis and tularemia) are not generally spread this way, but other diseases such as salmonellosis, foot rot, intestinal bacteria, viruses, and parasites are commonly transmitted by this route.