Blackleg (disease)

Blackleg (Latin Gangraena emphysematosa ) is a non - contagious, acute, highly febrile, sometimes enzootic running animal disease. Causative agent of the disease is the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium chauvoei spores bildene. The spores of this bacterium are highly resistant to environmental influences and can therefore survive long in the soil. Typical, farmers usually known blackleg areas are in Lower Saxony and in some valleys of Upper Bavaria.

In particular, cattle, sheep and goats are at risk, the death rate in infected animals is very high, they usually die within a day. The flesh of dead animals can not be recycled.

The natural source of infection for the infection of animals form food or water contaminated with spores of the blackleg pathogen or wound infections. Therefore, a clustering of cases in the summer months grazing occurs. The incubation period is 1-5 days.

History

In veterinary medicine has long been no distinction between blackleg and anthrax. 1876 ​​published John Feser and Otto von Bollinger that the blackleg is caused by a pathogen other than the anthrax. 1887 was the microbiologist Saturnin Arloing as identify this pathogen and named it after his teacher Auguste Chauveau chauvoei as Bacterium. As a result, he also developed the first vaccine against the disease. In 1928 it was renamed after Clostridium chauvoei by Scott.

Pathogenesis and clinical

The spores are taken up via micro lesions of the intestinal epithelium from the feed. To access this lymphatic and hematogenous in skeletal muscle, where they germinate. The bacteria excrete toxins and enzymes that destroy the tissue, and also produce gas. It created so-called gas edema, showing a typical " crackle " to palpation. These are initially hot and painful, but will quickly cool and insensitive to pain. By further toxin secretion occurs rapidly a death.

Diagnosis

Clinical suspicion exists in typical palpation. The pathogen can be detected from contact samples of the altered muscles on immunofluorescence tests.

Differential diagnoses

Anthrax, blackleg Para

Therapy

In the initial stage helps possibly even penicillin and the surgical creation of aerobic conditions. Overall, the prognosis is very poor.

Prophylaxis

In vulnerable areas is 1 to 2 months before the Weideaustreib an active vaccination possible. The first vaccination against this epidemic was developed in 1922.

For infected animals is obligation and slaughter ban.