The causative agent and symptoms of emphysematous carbuncle in cattle, treatment of emkar

Clostridia bacteria are dangerous microorganisms that survive in an oxygen-free environment. They cause the development of emphysematous carbuncle, or emcara, in cows. The disease is treated with antibiotics, but recovered animals remain carriers of the pathogen. Livestock becomes infected through water, feed and manure of sick relatives. Emkar is one of the diseases that causes major losses to farms.

What is the disease

Emphysematous carbuncle is an infectious disease with a short incubation period.Symptoms appear 1-3 days after the pathogen enters the animal’s body. The bacterium synthesizes toxins that cause muscle swelling, fluid secretion and gas formation in the tissues. The condition is accompanied by fever. A characteristic sign of emkar is a crunching sound when pressing on the site of inflammation. The skin in places of swelling first becomes hot, and then cold and hard.

Emphysematous carbuncle is more common in cattle and rare in sheep and goats. Cows between three months and four years of age are predisposed to the disease. Bulls are sensitive to pathogenic bacteria between one and two years of age.

Calves fed on mother's milk for fifteen days after birth have strong immunity. But cubs separated from their mother early are also at risk.

Developed muscles predispose to the development of emkar. Therefore, the disease is dangerous for farms raising beef cattle. The disease also develops when immunity decreases or during the period of acclimatization of cows of a foreign breed delivered from a foreign nursery.

Emphysematous carbuncle was identified as a separate disease in the second half of the nineteenth century. Until then, his symptoms were considered to be a manifestation of anthrax. Emkar is not tied to geography, but has a seasonal expression. Outbreaks of the disease are observed in the summer-autumn period.

Causes of emkar

Emphysematous carbuncle occurs for the following reasons:

• unsanitary conditions for keeping cows;
• grazing in areas with a dangerous or unknown epizootic situation;
• consumption of water from marshy bodies of water by animals;
• getting manure from sick animals into food or water;
• early weaning of calves from their mothers.

The causative agent of the disease, the rod bacterium clostridium, belongs to pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms. It is present in the intestinal microflora, and with normal immunity its vital activity is suppressed by beneficial microorganisms.

But when immunity decreases or microflora is disrupted, living conditions become favorable for the growth of vegetative cells and the development of clostridia.

When conditions change back to unfavorable and a large number of waste products accumulate around the bacteria, they form spores. Vegetative cells gradually die. The spores can withstand arctic cold, exposure to chemicals, and survive in vacuum.

Clostridia enter the intestines of cattle when they eat plants on pastures that have been fertilized with manure from sick animals. From the digestive tract they spread through the organs and into the muscles. Weakening of general immunity, due to another infectious disease, or local, as a result of a blow, removes spores from suspended animation. A favorable factor for the development of clostridia and the occurrence of emkar is the large amount of glycogen in the muscles of beef cows.

Forms and symptoms of the disease

General signs of emkar:

• apathy;
• decreased appetite or refusal to eat.

During the incubation period, destruction of blood vessels and tissues in the muscles and skin occurs. The poison released by the bacteria accumulates. After a day or two, in rare cases on the fifth day, symptoms of one of the three forms of emkar appear.

Acute course

Signs:

• body temperature 41-42 degrees;
• noticeable swelling in places with developed muscles - on the croup, hips, neck, chest, sometimes swelling of the mucous membrane of the mouth and pharynx is observed;
• enlarged lymph nodes.

In acute emkar, the swelling or carbuncle fills within 8-10 hours. The affected area, which is hot to the touch, becomes cold and hardens. When pressed, a crunching sound is heard - crepitus. A cow with carbuncles on her legs and rump is limping.

Super acute

Symptoms:

• fever;
• sepsis.

The hyperacute form of emcar occurs in a septic form without the formation of carbuncles, and is rare and occurs only in calves under three months of age.

Atypical

Symptoms:

• general depression;
• muscle inflammation.

Atypical or abortive emkar proceeds without hardening of the edema. A mild form of the disease is typical for old cows.

Diagnostics

Emkar is diagnosed through a veterinary examination of animals, laboratory examination of biomaterial and autopsy.

When confirming the diagnosis by laboratory methods, an autopsy is not performed to avoid the spread of clostridia.

Therapeutic measures

Treatment of emphysematous carbuncle is effective at the first symptoms.The atypical form disappears within two days.

Animals are injected intramuscularly with one of the following antibiotics:

• "Penicillin";
• "Biomycin";
• "Dibiomycin";
• "Amioxicillin";
• "Cefepime";
• "Ceftriaxone".

Solutions for external use:

• "Lysol";
• hydrogen peroxide;
• carbolic acid;
• potassium permanganate.

The dosage of medications for emphysematous carbuncle is prescribed by a veterinarian. Self-selection of medications can aggravate the animal’s condition.

Prevention

To preserve livestock, it is important to recognize the symptoms of emkar at an early stage. Sick cows are transferred to a separate room. The remaining animals are vaccinated. The farm is closed for quarantine and disinfection. The planned slaughter is cancelled. The bodies of dead animals are burned in animal burial grounds.

How to avoid a disease outbreak:

• vaccinate every six months;
• keep purchased animals in quarantine for two weeks, separately from the herd;
• during summer grazing, disinfect stalls;
• study the area when choosing a pasture, the epizootic situation;
• do not graze the herd near cattle burial grounds or in swampy areas;
• inspect the skin of the cows, monitor the cleanliness of the hooves.

Meat and milk from sick cows is prohibited from sale. Timely vaccination, control over the appetite and physical activity of animals will help avoid the spread of clostridia and emcara.