Synonyms

No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

Botulism

The disease in brief

This is poisoning by a Clostridium botulinum toxin causing flaccid paralysis, by blocking the nerve impulse at the motor endplate; this anaerobic bacterium develops in corpses and therefore in livestock effluents that may contain corpses, such as poultry manure. This may be a collective problem, following contaminant spreading or accidental cases (magpie falling into the water tank).

Clinic & diagnosis

Botulism can be suspected in a bovine by clinical examination and the suspicion can be supported by the circumstances:

-Locomotor signs: The bovine is limp like a rag doll, it is weak, staggers and lies down without being able to get up.

-A normal respiratory movement, but of very low amplitude or an abdominal respiratory movement, without moving the ribs.

-At the digestive level: The tongue is weak; if you grab it, it does not fit into the mouth. The bovine has difficulty swallowing or does not swallow (keeps a plug of fodder in the mouth).

-He reacts little to stimulation, has difficulty supporting his head.

-It can be noted in collective cases that cattle died in the same batch;

-Spreading manure 300 m-400 m around can infect a pasture by spreading dust in the wind.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

-Thoracolumbar spinal compression paralysis N193

-Tick paralysis NV29.1

-Vertebral or paravertebral abscess N185

-MET10 milk fever

– Rage-NV18.1

– Hypokalemia-N90

Confirm a suspicion?

DS 1: suspicion to be reported to the DDPP; procedure to follow for taking samples. 

It is the autopsy of a corpse (fresh or not) which allows samples to be taken to demonstrate the presence of toxin or bacteria (by PCR). The Pasteur Institute in Paris or the Labocéa in Ploufragan carry out these analyses.

Prognosis and treatment

The prognosis is poor for the affected animal (less than 1/10 of affected cattle recover); at the level of a herd, the appearance of several concomitant cases can raise fears of a catastrophe that could kill dozens of cattle in 10 days.

There is no specific treatment possible; only care of the lying cattle can give hope of recovery.

Prevention

In the event of a collective risk, it is advisable to take a rapid decision to intervene, by vaccinating exposed cattle against toxins C and D. As the vaccine is not easily available in France, a special procedure exists to obtain it from the Zoétis laboratory.

References

-Veterinary Medicine-Pocket companion -9th Edition BLOOD DC-page290