the acute disease form lessens therefore mortality decreases; however, producers may note a reduction in feed conversion and weight gain post-disease recovery. diagnosis of exudative epidermitis is often made based on the characteristic brown lesions that progress to crusting ulcers along with the other clinical signs mentioned above. prevention of disease vaccine managing the barn conditions and the welfare of the piglets can reduce the spread of s. hyicus. a vaccine can be used for prevention of infection with s. hyicus. the vaccine is made using the genes that encode exfoliative toxin type b (exhb) from s. hyicus strains. since there is no commercial vaccine available yet, the vaccine used is an autogenous vaccine with the strain of s. hyicus that is currently affecting the herd of pigs to ensure immunity is developed to the strain within the barn. vaccination reduces the chance that pigs will die from the disease and can help reduce the use of antimicrobials to treat exudative epidermitis. vaccinated sows can pass on antibodies to the piglets so that the piglets have some passive immunity to s. hyicus. management of pigs staphylococcus hyicus can enter the skin of pigs through any cut. managing the pigs so they are unable to bite each other or ensuring the flooring is soft can decrease infection. the barn should be disinfected and cleaned regularly to ensure bacteria cannot grow as easily. any new sows entering the barn should be washed to reduce contamination. when the first signs of disease are noticed, changing the bedding or moving the pigs to a new stall can reduce contamination. using sterile needles for injections and controlling mange may also decrease infection. exudative epidermitis is contagious between pigs and quick isolation can reduce the chance of the disease spreading. ensuring biosecurity of the farm and isolating any new pigs before introducing them to the herd can reduce transmission. for young piglets, reducing the chance of chilling can impact how sick the piglets will get. keeping the barn dry and clean as well as ensuring there is adequate ventilation and humidity can decrease the amount of s. hyicus that can grow in the barn and possibly infect pigs. treatment treatments for exudative epidermitis include antibiotics given topically or injected, disinfectants, and topical oils which can relieve symptoms. in farms which are "antibiotic-free", pigs which fall ill are removed from the production system rather than treated. farmers generally treat infected pigs topically with sprays or oils. sprays can have antibiotics such as novobiocin and procaine penicillin g. any pigs which are dehydrated may need fluids and electrolytes to become rehydrated. rehydration is crucial as dehydration is the common cause of death in infected pigs. staphylococcus hyicus was found to be susceptible to many antibiotics including norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, cephalexin, oxytetracycline, and gentamicin. these antibiotics could be used to treat pigs infected with s. hyicus. novobiocin and enrofloxacin have been shown to be effective in controlling staphylococcus hyicus in vitro. s. hyicus is often susceptible to vancomycin as this antibiotic is still effective against most methicillin-resistant staphylococci. with antibiotic resistance increasing in all bacteria, sending samples to a diagnostic lab for susceptibility testing is important for choosing the right antibiotic in that case. ensuring bacteria do not develop resistance to many antimicrobials is important for both animal and human health. this is especially true in food animals, such as pigs, because resistant bacteria responsible for many common foodborne illnesses in people may be linked to animal antimicrobial resistance.