Synonyms

Dictyocaulose-

Name of the disease in English

Lungworm infestation-Complicated form by emphysema; Verminous pneumonia or Verminous bronchitis-Complicated form by emphysema

The disease in brief

Dictyocaulosis viviparus is a very widespread parasite in temperate climates, as soon as there is sufficient humidity to grow green grass. It affects young naive cattle or adult herds if they have been so protected in their youth that sufficient natural immunity has not developed. The form presented here comes from an inflammatory reaction occurring in the pulmonary alveolus and peripheral tissue, of the hypersensitivity type; it will cause a distension of the alveolus to the point of rupture, and therefore the passage of air into the supporting tissues of the lung; the air can reach the pleura, or the thoracic cavity (pneumothorax) or the subcutaneous tissues (subcutaneous emphysema). These serious forms of the disease occur more often in adult cattle, when they are left after treatment on infested plots; the plots for cows are often difficult to replace.

Clinic & diagnosis

The occurrence, in pasture or in cattle receiving grass, in a coughing (or coughed) flock, between spring and autumn, of respiratory distress or severe dyspnoea may lead to suspicion of the disease. In some cattle, air is perceptible under the skin. Respiratory distress or dyspnoea must therefore occur in certain circumstances to suspect verminous bronchitis.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

–Recovery emphysema-acute form RS28

–Anaphylaxis RS27.2

Confirm a suspicion?

The first step is to confirm dictyocaulosis in the batch: If it is not too late after an anti-parasitic treatment, take some droppings and search for larvae without delay using the Baërmann method.

Prognosis and treatment

Treatment of this secondary form, in addition to antiparasitic treatment, must include the immediate removal of infested plots and return to the stable:

-Anti-inflammatories and antihistamines

-Antibacterial

Prevention

Without repeating here the principles of controlling dictyocaulosis - seen in Memo sheet - Verminous bronchitis -, the prevention of secondary forms is:

–Remove patients from infested areas after antiparasitic treatment.
- Warn the breeder of the risk and ask him to monitor the treated batch and take the temperature, at least on the suspect adults.
-Build anti-strongyle immunity at a young age by not relying entirely on antiparasitics, but on a global and adapted strategy, which maintains immunizing parasite contact
-Remove sick people from infested areas.

References

Veterinary Medicine-Pocket companion -9th Edition BLOOD DC-page488