An outbreak of Pseudorabies (which is also known as Aujesky’s disease) has broken out in the feral hogs in Arkansas, according to a report in the Arkansas Matters.

Pseudorabies is a viral disease, which causes the colloquially labelled disease “mad itch”, and was reported when ten hunting dogs became infected with the virus after ate the meat of a dead feral hog. Although multiple species have been seen to have susceptibility to the virus, the hogs are the only definitive host and the others are dead end hosts which are usually euthanized humanely once the diagnosis is made.

Pseudorabies presents no risk for animal to human spread.