Nodular dermatitis of cattle

If the sanitary norms of the cattle are not observed, infection of animals with all kinds of infectious diseases is possible. This, in turn, leads to a drop in productivity, loss of livestock, and, consequently, to a decrease in the profitability of farms. There are many diseases that affect cattle. One of the most dangerous is nodular dermatitis.

A bit of history

Disease is relatively new. Our ancestors had no such problem with cattle. Nodular dermatitis was first recorded in 1929 in Madagascar and Northern Rhodesia. In 1945, the infection of livestock was recorded in the Transvaal and Kenya. In 1963, cows in Romania were infected. Nowadays this disease is especially prevalent in India, as well as in South and East Africa.

Virus in Russia and the territory of the former USSR

In our country, the first time diseased nodular dermatitis animals were identified in the territory of Chechnya in 2015, in the fall. Most recently, at the beginning of June 2016, a disease was discovered, such as nodular dermatitis in cattle in the Krasnodar Territory (in the Tbilisi region). There are also reports of previously infected animals in Dagestan, South Ossetia and Azerbaijan.

What causes

There is an infection of cattle with nodular dermatitis when animals enter into the body of DNA-containing viruses Neethling, Allerton or BLD. They refer to the genus Capripoxvirus, the family Poxviridae. And most often the infection is caused by Neethling. This virus is reproduced in renal or testicular tissue. His danger lies, among other things, in that he is able to withstand up to 3 cycles of freezing. At a temperature of 4 degrees, it can remain viable for 6 months.

Sources of infection

Unfortunately, this disease can spread even if the sanitary norms of cattle are kept in cowsheds. The fact is that mosquitoes and flies often become its carriers. Thus, infection can occur even when grazing.

Nondular dermatitis of the cattle (the Neethling virus) enters the environment with drops of animal skin, with milk, saliva, sperm or blood falling off ulcers. Additional complications this disease delivers to farmers also because of absence of visible regularity in distribution. That is, in some cases, the animal that is near the infected person does not become infected. In this case, a cow or bull from a herd may be ill in a few kilometers.

As can already be understood from all of the above, the greatest number of infected animals is observed in the places of congestion of bloodsucking insects. Sometimes nodular dermatitis of cattle (virus) can be carried by birds. Especially waterfowl. The virus of dermatitis and respiration of infected animals is allocated. In some cases, it can be transmitted through feed and water.

Symptoms

The incubation period of the disease can last from 3 to 30 days. Since nodular dermatitis does not manifest itself in this period, the animals are not isolated. Consequently, the risk of infection spreads significantly.

Manifest disease can be in two forms: acute and chronic. Known also atypical nodular dermatitis. When the form is acute, the body temperature rises sharply (up to 40 degrees). In this case, the cow or bull decreases appetite, tears flow and mucus discharge from the nose appears. Two days later, nodules with a diameter of 0.5 to 7 cm and a height of up to 0.5 cm are formed on the skin of the animal. The number of them can vary from 10 to several hundred. In some cases, they merge.

The nodules are dense to the touch. A few hours later, the epidermis begins to peel off along their contour. In this case, a fovea is formed in the center of each nodule. Necrosis begins to spread from it. The affected areas are fringed by a roller of granulation tissue up to 3 mm wide. After a week, the necrotic area, which has the shape of a cylinder about 1 * 2 cm in size, dries up and disappears. In the next formed on the skin of the animal cavity is filled with tissue and overgrown with pigmentless skin with hair. But it happens only in the absence of complications. It also happens that ulcers form on the skin of the animal. Some nodules can not dry out for a year or more.

In addition to skin formations, nodular dermatitis in cattle (photo of sick animals can be seen on the page) is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Pink color of milk. Surrenders it is very difficult - by drop. When heated, the milk of the infected animal acquires a gel-like appearance. Feeding its calves can be after pasteurization at a temperature of 85 degrees for half an hour.

• Weight loss of an animal due to loss of appetite.

• The appearance on the eyelids of a cow or bull of sores or erosion.

• The current saliva from the mouth and purulent fetid mucus from the nose.

• Blurred cornea and decreased vision in the animal.

Sometimes ulceration also appears in the respiratory tract of a cow or a bull. In this case, the animal may die from suffocation.

Atypical form of nodular dermatitis proceeds without the formation of nodules. It appears only in newborn calves.

How is the diagnosis made?

Define the infection primarily on the basis of a common clinical picture. In addition, laboratory diagnostics of such a disease as nodular dermatitis of cattle is also carried out. San-examination is carried out with preliminary selection of biomaterial of suspicious animals. The established disease is considered when a virus of nodular dermatitis, its antigen or genome is detected. In especially severe cases, the diagnosis is made on the basis of pathological and anatomical studies.

Symptoms of nodular dermatitis are similar to manifestations of hives, dermatophileosis, smallpox, demodectic and lymphongitis. Sometimes this disease is confused even with banal bites of insects. Therefore, when there are any nodules on the skin of animals, it is necessary to conduct laboratory tests.

Pathological and anatomical changes

When autopsy of a fallen animal that has undergone nodular dermatitis of cattle, whose treatment methods have not been developed yet, the following changes can be revealed:

• Enlarged, swollen, juicy lymph nodes on the incision;

• Hemorrhages up to 1 cm under the visceral pleura;

• Puffiness of the lungs;

• Congestion on the nasal mucosa;

• Necrosis of the epidermis;

• Blood clots in the veins under the nodules;

• Hemorrhage in the intestinal mucosa.

What damage can the disease cause?

Nodular dermatitis of cattle, the treatment of which, unfortunately, is not carried out, can affect from 5 to 50% of the animals of the herd. Sometimes it also happens that the disease affects 100% of cattle. The case due to infection usually does not exceed 10%, and most often from 1 to 5%.

Although this disease does not "wipe out" the whole herd, it is considered one of the most dangerous. The fact is that when it spreads, the productivity of animals is significantly reduced. In this case, farmers incur significant losses on the sale of both milk and meat, as well as skins. Extremely negative this disease affects the reproduction of cattle. Infected bulls become temporarily sterile. In diseased cows, sexual cycles are disrupted. Pregnant animals have abortions and dead babies are born.

In Russia, this disease has not caused special damage to farmers, because not so many cows were ill. In India, where it is very widespread, losses due to it can amount to 50 million rupees annually.

Prevention

Unfortunately, as already mentioned, it is very difficult to prevent the epidemic of nodular dermatitis. This disease is transmitted immediately. The answer to the question of what can be treated nodular dermatitis in cows, does not exist. In addition, the immunity after the transferred infection is produced quite badly. That is, the ill animal at the occurrence of favorable circumstances may become infected again.

To prevent the infection of cattle with dermatitis is very difficult. However, farmers can still reduce the risk of disease occurrence to a minimum. Immunization of cows is carried out using a strain of Neethlin-like virus of sheep pox. The latter is grown in the tissues of testes of lambs. Only such a virus gives immunity from nodular dermatitis. The usual sheep has no similar effect.

In addition to the vaccines themselves, preventive measures include:

• Prevention of the development of dampness and, as a consequence, the appearance of a large number of bloodsucking insects in barns;

• Treatment of animals and stalls with repellents;

• The prevention of the importation into the safe farms of animals of unknown origin without the relevant documents;

• In private farms providing veterinarians with access to sheds for animal inspection on demand.

Vaccination schedule

Enter the strain of cattle subcutaneously. The first inoculation is given to the young at the age of three months. Do this twice with an interval of 2 weeks. Further, the vaccine is administered at regular intervals per year. In case of detection of the disease, all animals, without exception, should be vaccinated, regardless of when exactly their immunization was carried out before.

Nodular dermatitis of cows: a danger to humans and other animals

To vaccinate against this disease is supposed only cattle. Fortunately, the cases of transmission of this disease from them to the MRS have been identified so far. Also, the nodular dermatitis virus is also quite safe for humans.

How to prevent spreading

Nodular dermatitis of cattle, the treatment of which is impossible, has the property of rapidly spreading. Therefore, when animals that have become ill are discovered, contact with them of other cows and bulls, as well as attendants, should be completely ruled out. In addition, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the removal of particles of contaminated tissue beyond the territory of the economy by transport. All vehicles leaving the territory must be pre-disinfected. The same procedure applies to the outer clothing and footwear of the attendants (using formaldehyde vapors).

Identified sick animals, as well as cows and bulls, directly in contact with them, are killed with a bloodless method. Corpses of cattle, as well as the remains of feed and litter are destroyed. In the farm itself, three-time disinfection should be carried out. Manure from the stall is rumpled and also disinfected.

In order to contain the epidemic, among other things, restrictions should be adopted:

• On the movement of all animals;

• To visit the economy by unauthorized persons;

• For slaughtering animals and selling products.

In disadvantaged regions of nodular dermatitis, special centers have been established to combat this disease. Farmers and owners of household plots can call there if they suspect contamination. In the Krasnodar region, for example, specialists can be called by dialing the number 4-12-47 or 4-12-33.

Nodular dermatitis of cattle was found in the farm. How to treat?

The natural cure of livestock with nodular dermatitis is 90%. Most susceptible to this disease are pedigree bulls and cows. Unfortunately, the treatment of nodular dermatitis, as already mentioned, has not been developed. In some cases, chemotherapy may be used to prevent complications due to secondary infections. Sometimes animals are given antibiotics for the same purpose.

What do they say about the disease?

Many farmers ask their colleagues and veterinarians the question: "Who cured nodular dermatitis in a cow?". Reviews about this disease exist as very serious. Therefore, experienced farmers and veterinarians advise beginners not to self cure cows, and to hammer them. But sometimes you can find the opinion that in case of disease to ease the course of the disease you can use special steroids and vitamins, as well as the antibiotic "Thalidomide" (causing, incidentally, ugliness in the offspring).

In Russia, this disease is not yet very common, which means that for the domestic farmers the issue, at least for the time being (2016), is irrelevant. And consequently, there are no opinions about possible national methods of cure. But, most likely, in case of further spread of the disease, advice on how to deal with cattle during infection will be the same - slaughter.

So, the problem is really serious - nodular dermatitis of cattle. "How to treat this disease?" Unfortunately, there is no answer to this question. If an infection is detected, the cattle are slaughtered. Of course, this can cause tremendous damage to the farms. Therefore, preventive measures and measures to prevent the spread of nodular dermatitis in case of an outbreak should be taken.