Haemorrhagic Septicaemia

Haemorrhagic Septicaemia is also known as Septicaemic Pasteurellosis and Barbone disease.

Haemorrhagic Septicaemia is caused by Pasteurella multocida.

Etiology

Haemorrhagic Septicaemia is caused by Pasteurella multocida bacteria.

• Type A- shipping fever, Enzootic pneumonia, Fowl cholera, Snuffles in rabbits
• Type B- Epizootic haemorrhaic septicemia
• Type D- Atrophic Rhinitis in pigs
• Type E- Epizootic haemorrhagic septicemia

Pasteurella is an extracellular organism.

Pasteurella multocida type-I is a gram negative, coccoid and short rod shaped organism. The organism stain at either pole- Bi-polar. Robert divided the Pasteurella serotypes into type I – IV as based on mice protection test. Carter classified the serotypes as A- E based on the analysis of capsular antigen.

Epidemiology

Prevalence of infection

• The disease is enzootic in tropical and sub tropical countries.
• It is an economically important disease in India.
• Out breaks usually occurs in wet and humid weather.
• Morbidity rates 50% and case fatality rate 100%, but it is three times higher in buffaloes.
• Adult animals in endemic area acquire a natural immunity for infection.

Source of infection

• Recovered carrier and clinical animals carries the organism in tonsillar and nasopharyngeal mucosa in 45% of healthy and 3-5% diseased cattle.
• The organism is abundant in saliva and blood.

Predisposing factors

• Stress due to exercise, mal-nutrition, adverse climate, health related fatigue, over exertion and starvation.
• Overcrowding
• Damp or humid weather
• Transportation of feed lot cattle
• Excessive worm burden

Transmission

• Ingestion of contaminated feed and water
• Ticks and insect bites

Host Affected

• Cattle, sheep, goats, yak and water buffaloes are highly susceptible.
• Horses and pigs are less susceptible.
• Calves in the age group between 6 months to 2 years old are highly susceptible.
• Lab animals: Rabbit and mice are highly susceptible but guinea pig and rat are highly resistant.

Pathogenesis

• Organism by ingestion enter the tonsils, GI tract and respiratory tract, via the blood circulation reaches heart, liver and spleen followed by development of severe septicemia which ensues death in 24 hours.
• Animals recovered from natural infection are immune.

Clinical Signs

• An acute septicaemic disease
• Fever
• Profuse salivation
• Sub-mucosal petichiation, severe depression and death in 24 hours.
• Warm, painful swelling at throat, dewlap, brisket and perineum.
• Severe dyspnoea and respiratory distress
• Severe toxaemia and enteritis and dehydration in gastrointestinal form occurs.

Necropsy Findings

• Generalised haemorrhages in serosa.
• Edema, congestion to patchy or extensive consolidation of lungs and lymph nodes.
• Infiltration of gelatinous fluid in subcutaneous area.
• Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis
• Prominent thickening of interlobular septa.

Diagnosis

• Based on clinical signs and necropsy findings.
• Demonstration of the bipolar organism in the blood smear at the height of temperature.
• Isolation of organism by culture.
• Animal inoculation: Mice or rabbit inoculated with blood, intra peritoneal or sub cutaneous die in 24- 48 hours.
• ELISA is done for the detection of antibody for P. multocida.

Sample Collection

• Bone marrow
• Blood
• Heart and spleen immediately in few hours following death

Differential Diagnosis

• Mycoplasmosis
• Chronic respiratory diseases
• Parasitic infection
• Pneumonic pasteurellosis

Treatment

• Injection of Oxytetracycline – 10mg / kg bw – i/v – 3-5 days.
• Sulphadimidine  150 mg /kg bw, i/v for 3 days.
• Sulphamethazine 30mg/kg bw i/m or i/v.
• Chloramphenicol 10 mg/kg bw for 5 days.
• Ampicillin 10 mg/kg bw i/m 5 days.
• Enrofloxacin 2mg / kg bw i/m for 5 days.
• Ceftiofure 10mg / kg bw i/m for 5 days.
• Betamethasone  and Dexamethasone – 1 mg/5kg bw.

Prevention

• Haemorrhagic Septicaemia vaccine: Highly antigenic strain of Pasteurella multocida, inactivated by formalin & precipitated by addition of alum.
• Used in active immunisation of cattle & buffaloes.
• Immunity develop in 10 days and last for about 6 months.
• Cattle & buffaloes 5-10 ml S/C.

Control

• The organism is killed by 0.5% Phenol for 15 minutes.
• Vaccinate all susceptible population before the onset of monsoon.
• Avoid all types of stress.