Anthracis disease in buffalo and cattle: Epidemiological characteristics, prevention and treatment

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease of cattle and buffaloes, this disease is endemic, caused by anaerobic bacilli Clostridium chauvoei and some other anaerobic bacilli (Cl.septicum, Cl.perfringens), showing typical symptoms and lesions: muscle swelling with gas, called “anthrax”.

1. General characteristics of Anthrax

Anthrax is an acute infectious disease of cattle and buffaloes, this disease is endemic, caused by anaerobic bacilli Clostridium chauvoei and some other anaerobic bacilli (Cl.septicum, Cl.perfringens), showing typical symptoms and lesions: muscle swelling with gas, called “anthrax”.

The disease can occur year-round in areas contaminated with Anthrax spores, but the disease often occurs in hot, humid, rainy months. Rainwater causes spores from the soil to float out and stick to straw and grass. Animals that eat food and drink spores will develop the disease.

2. Cause

Caused by an anaerobic bacillus (cl.Chauvoei) with the manifestation of forming tumors in the muscles with gas.

The pathogenic bacteria can form spores (cysts) in the tissue and muscles in the tumor and in the environment. Sunlight kills spores within 24 hours. In a dead body, spores can live for 3 months, in moist soil they can live for 18 years. Temperature 700C kills bacteria after 30 minutes. Boiling kills bacteria in 30 seconds, but it takes 20 minutes to kill spores.

3% Formalin solution kills bacteria after 15 minutes.

3. Transmission method

Spores in the soil enter the body of buffaloes and cows through the digestive tract or through skin wounds, then germinate into bacteria, multiply in the blood and spread throughout the body.

The disease is not transmitted directly from sick animals to healthy animals.

4. Symptoms

a. Hyper-acute form

The disease progresses within 3-6 hours. The animal is eating grass or pulling a tractor and suddenly collapses, trembles and dies without any obvious symptoms. Some animals have tumors in the thighs and abdomen, which develop very quickly. The mortality rate in calves is up to 90%.

b. Acute form

The disease progresses within 2-3 days to 1 week. The animal has a high fever of 420C, is tired but still eats and drinks until near death. Tumors appear on the muscles of the shoulders, buttocks, thighs and abdomen, the swelling is not fixed, can move from the shoulders and buttocks to the thighs, abdomen, chest, groin. The tumor is hot and painful at first, then less painful, gradually grows larger, the skin is tight, flabby, pressing on it makes a crackling sound. The tumor can rupture and discharge a lot of light pink fluid. When there is a tumor in the thigh, it makes it difficult for the animal to walk, and a tumor in the neck makes it stick its tongue out. After 2-3 days, the body temperature gradually decreases and then it dies.

There are cases of paralysis of all four legs, urinary retention, and defecation retention, and then death.

5. Lesions

The dead animal’s body rots slowly, and when dissected, it smells of rancid butter. Typical lesions are tumors, the middle of the tumor is dark purple, gray-black or gray-brown, necrotic, looks like a piece of cooked meat, has a slimy glue, looks like meat jelly, when cut deeply, there are bubbles, and there is a crackling sound. The tumor penetrates the dark colored fluid. The lymph nodes in the tumor area are swollen, edematous, and permeate the fluid. The viscera in the tumor area are congested, the liver membrane has necrotic spots, and the bile is swollen. The blood is dark, not purple-black and difficult to clot as in the case of Anthrax.

Note: When an animal is suspected of having Anthrax, it is not allowed to be dissected. Autopsy is only allowed when necessary but must ensure adequate protective equipment and good sterilization.

6. Diagnosis

Based on epidemiology and clinical symptoms: The disease often occurs in old epidemic areas, contaminated with spores. Anthrax is characterized by the appearance of gas-producing tumors, when pressed, there is a crackling sound in the muscles along with symptoms of fever, lethargy, and poor appetite.

Differentiate from two diseases:

Buffalo and cattle septicemia

Anthrax

– The animal has a very large swollen throat and pre-scapular lymph nodes, but no gas is produced. The swollen area is hot and edematous, pressing on the hand leaves a mark, no crackling sound is heard.

– The animal has difficulty breathing due to a swollen throat, the tongue sticks out.

– Autopsy of sick animals shows severe hematoma in the lymph nodes and other organs, the muscles are soaked with fluid, and are purple-pink in color.

– Very high fever (41-420C),

– The animal has anthrax in the neck, throat, chest, abdomen, but the swelling is hard, hot, painful, does not produce gas, little edema, later ruptures and ulcers, the bottom of the deep ulcer is purple-black.

– The animal after death has a protruding antrum; tongue sticking out and bleeding, dark purple blood that does not clot or is difficult to clot, the spleen is 2-4 times larger, crushed like mud, black heart.

7. Treatment

Anthrax antiserum can be used to inject cattle, however this method is not common.

Antibiotic treatment:

* Regimen:

1st injection:

Use Penicillin: has a specific effect on bacteria Cl. chauvoei, Cl. septicum, Cl. perfringens and Cl. oedematien.

Use at a dose of 30,000 IU/kg of cattle body weight/day.

Buffalo, cow, horse with weight of 300kg use the following dose:

Day 1: 4-5 million units/time. On the first day, inject 3 times/day; from the 2nd day onwards, inject 2 times/day with a dose of 3 million units/time.

Dose 2:

Use medicine: Oxycen 200 LA (Oxytetracycline): 1ml/10kg BW/time, inject 2 times/day.

Or: Use Pneumotic medicine: 1ml/7-10 kg BW/time, inject 2 times/day, 1 injection site should not exceed 20ml.

– Intravenous infusion for cattle