Enterotoxemia: A common problems in Sheep and Goat

 ENTEROTOXEMIA

ETIOLOGY

• Caused by clostridium perfringens that produce toxin starting from A to F of which clostridium type A, B, C, D, E are important.

INTRODUCTION

It is an infectious disease of ruminant which is caused by clostridum perfringens gram positive bacteria which produce toxin. It`s  mainly effected maximum 2-10 month of animal.                                                  

The bacteria of this disease are found in soil, feaces and intestine of ruminant. Excess milk feeding,grasses increase the number of bacteria which produce toxin that goes in blood and transfer to whole body of animal.

TYPES OF CASUATIVE AGENTS

1.  Clostridium perfringens type-A:

eexact role of type A in relation to disease in cattle,calves and lambs is not clear. It produce toxin.enterotoxaemic jaundice is seen in sheep and cattle.The affected animal show respiratory distress, bloody foam from mouth and nostrils.

2.                Clostridium perfringens type-B:

The organism

produce a disease known as lamb dysentery. Organism produces α, β and Σ toxin. The β toxin produces enteritis (inflammation of small intestine) and Σ toxin affect the neural tissue. The disease is characterised by servere dysentery abdominal pain, aimless wandering. Peracute case will lead to sudden death without showing any clinical manifestation.

Small necrotic area, surrounded by zone of haemorrage are noted in the intestinal mucosa. Liver is enlarged and friable.

3.      Clostridium perfringens type-C 

                 It affect sheep, goat, and cattle. It produce hemorrhagic enterotoaxemia which is an acute disease of young calves. It produce both  α and β toxin. Excess feeding of milk causing intestinal stasis favour the multiplication of the organism and thereby production of toxin. Clinical sign include abdomin pain, weakness, depression, failure to nurse, hemorrhagic diarrhoea.

The lesions are found in small intestine particularly in jejunum and ileum characterized by hemorrhagic changes. There is also necrotic and ulcerative change.

4.  Clostridium perfringens type 

It is a disease of sheep but cattle and goat are occasionally affected.It produce α toxin. The young sheep and calves are affected. There is diffuse reddening of abomasal mucosa, sub- endocardial and myocardial hemorrhage. The central nervous system(CNS) may be affected. For this, animal may become blind. Sheep may show the sign of glycosuria. Straw coloured fluid is found in the periteneal, pleural and pericardial sac.

In sheep the disease is also known as pulpy kidney disease. Affected lamb may jump in the air, fall in ground go in convulsion and die within few minutes.

The sheep that die suddenly may not show any post mortem lesions. Haemorrhagic lesions are seen in peritoneum, epicardium, endocardium, diaphgram, abomasum and duodenum. There is softening of kidney. Kidney change develop in 3 to 4 hr following death.

5.       Clostridium perfringens type-E:

It produce α and β toxin. There is fatal infection leading to death. There is hemorrhagic changes in the intestine.

6.       Clostridium perfringens type-F:

    The organism produces potent toxin and causes diarrhoea in calves and lambs. It is not certainly known as to be causative agent of any fatal disease of animal.

Sign and Symptoms;

•    Maximum animal die without showing any symptoms.

•    Affected animal temperature became 107°F.

•    Redness of eye.

•    Problem in breathing.

•    Diarrhoea

•    Dehydration

•    Abdomin pain

Treatment;

•    Penicillin inj. 10,000 unit per kg body wt or strepto penicillin 5 gram in large animal and 1-2 gram in small animal twice a day for 3days in intra muscular can be given.

•    Oral and systematic antibiotic may be tried but treatment does not yeild satisfactory response.

•    Antitoxin if available can be given soon after birth.

•    Vaccination can be done.