pig (redirected from Old World pig)

pig

an even-toed nonruminant ungulate with a simple stomach. A member of the suborder Suiformes of the order Artiodactyla. Includes domestic pigs, which are very prolific, heavy, ponderous, rapid-growing, grunting creatures bred almost completely for the purpose of providing meat, but in some cultures are assuming importance as house pets. There are many breeds and colors, the ears may be erect or lop, there are a large number of mammary glands and they have a characteristic snout, thin skin and heavy bristles. They are descendants of the wild boar, Sus scrofa. Preferred name swine. Called also hog.

There are many indigenous domesticated breeds. Popular commercial breeds include berkshire, chester white, duroc (duroc jersey), gloucester old spot, hampshire, lacombe, landrace, large white, pietrain, poland china, tamworth, wessex saddleback, yorkshire.

Wild genera include wild boar, wild pigs (both Sus spp.), bush pigs (Potamochoerus spp.), wart hog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), forest hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni), babirussa (Babirussa babyrussa).

Pigs are becoming popular as companion animals, especially pot-bellied pigs. it seems reasonable to assume that this trend will increase because of the advent of 'Babe'.

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pig ears

dried ears (pinnae) marketed as a chew toy for dogs; have been a source of Salmonella infection in humans handling them.

miniature pig

developed in the early 1960s as research animals by interbreeding local American feral pigs with natural dwarf pigs of Yucatan, Vietnamese, Taiwanese breed origin. Pet pigs called 'miniature pet pigs' may be purebred Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (black, short-nosed, heavy-jowled, pot-bellied, with straight wagging tail), or Yucatan type (straight-bellied, long-snouted, coarse-haired and coarse-coated, without a pot belly and weighing 120-250 lb when mature—called also Mexican hairless), or African Pygmy—called also Guinea hog (with straight back, no pot belly, short to medium length hair, kinky tail, black, sometimes with white markings).

pot-bellied pig

not a specific breed; originate from dwarf, pot-bellied indigenous Chinese and South East Asian pigs.

pig pox

see swinepox.

pig typhoid

see salmonellosis.

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pig Vox populi A food animal and occasional vector for human pathogens: Bacteria Bacillus anthracis–anthrax, Brucella suis, Clostridium botulinum–botulism, C perfringens–pigbel, Flavobacterium group IIb-like bacteria, Leptospirosis, Pasteurella aerogenes, Pasteurella multocida, Salmonella cholerae-suis–salmonellosis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae (group L), Streptococcus milleri, Streptococcus suis type 2 (group R), Yersinia enterocolitica, Y pseudotuberculosis Parasites Ascaris suum, cryptosporidiosis, Entamoeba polecki, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Fasciolopsis buski, sarcocystosis, scabies, Taenia solium, Trichinella spiralis Viruses Influenza, rabies, swine influenzae, swine vesicular disease. Cf Guinea pig.