A variety of infectious diseases can cause harm to cattle-breeding farms . Outbreaks of infectious ailments on farms cause a decrease in animal productivity, and sometimes their death. And one of the most unpleasant diseases that owners of farmsteads face is, of course, cattle actinomycosis.
Fortunately, this illness does not belong to the group of incurables. However, the disease is still considered quite serious. In some cases, if untreated or due to immunity weakened for any reason, it can even lead to death in animals.
What is this disease
When infected with actinomycosis in different parts of the body of a cow or calf - on the head, neck, limbs, in the lymph nodes, on the udder, etc. - large granulomas appear. After the self-breakthrough of the latter, cattle develop long-healing fistulas in cattle. The form of this disease is exclusively chronic. Its incubation period can last from several weeks to a year.
In animals with weakened immune systems, actinomycosis often assumes a generalized character. In this case, abscesses are formed in the cow not in one organ, but throughout the body. With this course of the disease, animals, unfortunately, often die.
The danger of actinomycosis is, among other things, in the decay of the tissues surrounding the abscess, as well as the melting of bones. In the latter case, the prognosis of veterinarians regarding the possibility of recovery of the individual usually make an unfavorable.
This disease can affect various farm animals - sheep, horses, pigs. But most often it is diagnosed in cattle. Actinomycosis is a disease that can develop, unfortunately, in humans. However, cases of human infection from cows by this disease have still been identified, fortunately, have not been.
Actinomycosis of cattle: medical history
This unpleasant ailment has been known to man for a very long time. Apparently, peasants came across him in antiquity. This can be judged by the bones of cattle found by archaeologists in ancient settlements with lesions characteristic of this disease.
Thus, this disease causes damage to livestock farming for more than one millennium. However, actinomycosis was described by doctors only in the middle of the XIX century. The pathogen of this disease was first discovered by the scientist Rivolta in 1868.
Currently, actinomycosis is, unfortunately, very widespread throughout the world. This disease of cattle is found on all continents. Of course, this ailment causes many problems for Russian farmers.
Pathogen
Several varieties of radiant mushrooms can cause this disease in cattle. But most often, the causative agent of actinomycosis is still Actinomyces bovis. This fungus is widespread in the environment and is characterized by a high degree of resistance to various adverse factors. In the air, for example, it can remain viable for up to six years. Actinomyces bovis also tolerates both drying and exposure to low temperatures. The reader can see how the fungus that causes cattle actinomycosis looks in the photo below.
This pathogen dies when heated to 75-85 ° C. It can also be destroyed with a formalin solution of 3%. This mushroom is also sensitive to certain types of antibiotics - Tetracycline, Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin, etc.
What harm does the disease
Thus, farmers have been familiar with this ailment in this way for a long time. Unfortunately, he is capable of causing significant damage to households. Of course, in many countries of the world, among other things, there are certain rules aimed at preventing the spread of this disease across farms.
What effective measures can be taken to combat cattle actinomycosis in this regard? Restrictions in order to prevent the spread of this ailment to those farms where it was detected are usually quite serious. For example, such farms are not allowed to sell livestock on the side. It is impossible, of course, to let the carcasses of slaughtered cows with actinomycosis for sale also. Meat from healthy animals must be thoroughly tested in the laboratory before being sold. And this in turn also leads to additional costs.
How does infection happen?
This fungus enters the cattle body exclusively through damaged epidermis or epithelium. In this case, infection with them can occur, for example, through the oral cavity, limbs, udder, etc. Most often, cattle become infected with Actinomyces bovis when they eat food containing mycelium or fungal spores. In this case, infection occurs through damage caused by caries, wounds on the tongue and gums, gastrointestinal organs, etc.
After the animal enters the body, the fungus begins to actively affect nearby tissues. The disease takes on a generalized nature when the pathogen enters the bloodstream. In this case, the mycelium spreads throughout the body. As a result, metastases occur in the animal and new granulomas form.
Abscesses caused by the radiant fungus contain a large number of drusen (colonies) of Actinomyces bovis. After opening the granuloma and the formation of a fistula, spores enter the environment with pus. Thus, the further spread of the disease occurs.
How is transmitted
Most often, cattle with actinomycosis falls ill during the stall period from autumn to spring when feeding infected hay. The disease is affected in most cases with an epidemic of about 10% of the herd. In this case, Actinomyces bovis can be infected by animals of absolutely all ages. Both adult dairy cows and manufacturing bulls and even very small calves can get sick with actinomycosis.
In addition to roughage, this disease is often transmitted through water. Cows contained in dirty rooms can also become infected with actinomycosis. In this case, the pathogen easily penetrates the animal organism, for example, through wounds on the udder or extremities from the infected litter.
Diagnostics
Measures against cattle actinomycosis should be taken immediately, immediately after the detection of the first symptoms. The signs of this common disease, of course, should be known to every farmer. Symptoms of this ailment in cattle are usually pronounced.
The sizes of granulomas containing pus with Druze fungus, as already mentioned, are large. Their diameter can reach up to ten centimeters. Such formations are not particularly painful. However, to the touch, the skin in the area of their localization usually seems colder than in other parts of the animal’s body. With the breakthrough of such abscesses, pus with visible remnants of molten tissue begins to stand out from the formed fistula.
Despite the severity of external symptoms, the final diagnosis of actinomycosis is made by cattle, of course, only after laboratory tests. To perform such studies, puncture from a granuloma on a cow’s body is usually taken. Without laboratory studies, cattle actinomycosis can be confused with some other diseases, also accompanied by the appearance of fistulas and abscesses.
Symptoms of localization in the oral cavity
In this case, cattle granulomas can occur:
Usually, when the abscesses are localized in the mouth, the cow begins to have difficulty eating. Especially brightly a similar symptom is manifested in cattle with the formation of granulomas in the region of the tongue. In this case, the affected organ in the animal greatly increases in size. Because of this, a cow often cannot even close its mouth.
Symptoms of lymph node damage
Actinomyces bovis is also localized in such places quite often. With this arrangement of its colonies, cattle have fairly dense, outlined, almost immobile infiltrates. When the lymphatic system is affected, the disease in cows usually develops very slowly. At first, cattle did not even have an increase in body temperature.
The symptoms of actinomycosis with such localization become pronounced after the opening of abscesses. A sick cow at this moment there is a sharp deterioration in health. In this case, the skin over the affected area becomes cyanotic or red. In the event that the granuloma does not form a fistula after opening in the lymph node, the animal recovers quickly enough. The tumor gradually decreases in size, and then completely disappears for an indefinite time.
Symptoms of udder lesions
In this organ, in cattle, during infection, several small abscesses usually form. Later, in places of localization of granulomas, nonhealing fistulas and suppurations appear. When probing in the udder of a cow, dense formations of irregular shape with pronounced inclusions are determined.
The ulcers on the site of the ripened abscesses on the udder of the cow form quite large. They have irregular borders and produce purulent exudate in large quantities. If the disease is cured only at this stage, scars will subsequently remain on the udder of the cow.
Preparations
Therapy of actinomycosis in adult cows, gobies or calves can be carried out according to several methods. Most often, this disease is treated by introducing various kinds of drugs directly into the affected area. In most cases, even today, cattle actinomycosis is treated with iodine and bicillin. But more modern means among farmers are also gaining popularity and are considered quite effective.
For example, “Monclavita-1”, “Zinaprim” and “Polyphyte-propolis” are inexpensive, but effective drugs that are just fine for treating cattle actinomycosis. Such funds can be purchased both at veterinary pharmacies, and, for example, via the Internet.
Therapies
An abscess to an animal during treatment is first opened surgically. Next, clean the affected area. Surrounding healthy tissue pre-chop antibiotics. This is necessary in order to prevent the spread of infection throughout the cow. At the next stage, the animal is administered the selected drug directly to the place of former education.
Such treatment of cattle actinomycosis in most cases gives good results. Drugs are administered to sick cows, depending on their variety, once every 1-10 days.
Sometimes, in addition to such therapy on farms, a special technique called autohemotherapy can be used. In this case, in addition to antibiotics, healthy tissue of the cow around the affected area is additionally chopped off with its own blood taken from the jugular vein. When using this technology, the treatment of actinomycosis of cattle “Zinaprim”, iodine, “Polyphytolis propolis”, etc., gives the result earlier for several days.
Reviews and recommendations from experienced farmers
The above-described methods of treating an ailment are considered by owners of farms to be quite effective. According to farmers, both iodine and Polyphytolis or Zinaprim help well from cattle actinomycosis. With the right approach to business, helping a sick animal with the use of such means can, judging by the reviews, quickly enough.
But in the treatment of this ailment, experienced farmers are advised to follow some rules. It is believed, for example, that when it is infected with Actinomyces bovis cattle, it is important to open the abscess on time. To allow its self-breakthrough and the formation of a fistula is extremely undesirable. Otherwise, none of the methods of treating actinomycosis in small calves of cattle and adult cattle can, unfortunately, give results.
The formations themselves with this ailment, as already mentioned, do not differ in pain. But after surgery, farmers are advised to give pain relief to the cows and calves.
Disease prevention
The treatment of actinomycosis in cattle is therefore amenable. However, of course, it is much easier to prevent his outbreaks on the farm. Prevention measures against this ailment include:
steaming hay and haylage before feeding cows;
cereal steaming;
quite frequent litter changes;
regular cleaning of manure in cowsheds.
You need to purchase cattle feed only from trusted manufacturers and suppliers. The same goes for livestock itself. It is worth replenishing the herd on the farm only by purchasing new individuals in farms that are successful in terms of various infectious diseases, including actinomycosis.
The animals infected with this disease should be immediately isolated from the rest of the herd for prevention purposes. In order to avoid the penetration of infection into the farm from personal households, all workers should be given special clothing.
In the summertime, it is advisable to graze cows away from all kinds of natural and artificial ponds. It is near lakes, rivers and ponds that the grass is most often infected with Actinomyces bovis spores and mycelium.