Synonyms

 No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

 Enterotoxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens B,C,E

The disease in brief

 Clostridium perfringens are common inhabitants of the digestive tract; they proliferate following indigestion, excess food and produce necrotic toxins. The toxins attack the intestinal mucosa and submucosa; they then spread rapidly through the bloodstream. The disease generates a high lethality. Suspicion of enterotoxemia should encourage analysis of its risk factors, particularly in terms of nutrition. Rapid death (calf found dead).

 Clinic & diagnosis

 The disease is suspected in a calf aged 6 days to 6 months by observing both:

 - Hemorrhagic or banal diarrhea (even if most often, the calf dies before showing this diarrhea)

 -Rapid progression to death, or similar cases with high lethality (>1/3 of patients).

 Typical sign of the disease

 No description

 Pictures

 See below

 

Diagnostic formulas

 No description

 

Differential diagnosis

 -Calf diarrhea due to salmonella VX13

– Toxic diarrhea-DG42.2 

 

Confirm a suspicion?

 A sample of feces in a bottle filled to the brim to maintain anaerobiosis can be sent to the bacteriologist with a request for a Clostridia count. You must assess the strength of this suspicion before having the result of the count, which limits its interest. Confirmation of the disease is often done at autopsy.

Prognosis and treatment

 The treatment of this clostridiosis and the toxemia that accompanies it is difficult because there is, most of the time, no time to consider treatment; action must be taken at different levels:

-Anti-sera?

1-Rehydration: Control of hydration and acid-base balance; an assessment of this is made in the general condition section: Calves are perfused: the volume and composition of the perfused fluid are defined either by clinical examination alone or by laboratory assessment.

2-Anti-shock treatment: Dexamethasone or flunixin meglumine may be added to the infusion.

-2-Antibacterial/general route: The risk of bacteremia is significant, which justifies the inclusion of general antibiotics in the treatment:

3-Antidiarrheal-antibacterial/oral route: massive dose of penicillin per os

4-Feed the calf: Milk is stopped (the calf does not drink anyway) as a food supply for 24-36 hours at the most; it is advisable to provide the calf with another source of energy, especially if it is cold.

 

Prevention

 Access to water for calves.

Many cases occur in the meadow the day after the mother is in heat (thirsty calf, mother's udder full): the calf drinks too much at one time.

Avoid indigestion due to overload. Respect the quantities of milk and concentrate.

Monitor the cleanliness of the distribution troughs and buckets.

A vaccination mothers is possible to protect young calves:

-Vaccination of calves is possible before the risk period which may be around weaning:

 

References

 

Rebhun's disease of dairy cattle; Various DJs, Peek SF 3^rd edition by Ed. Saunders Elsevier