Synonyms

Dictyocauloidosis

Name of the disease in English

Lungworm infestation-Complicated form; Verminous pneumonia orVerminous bronchitis-Complicated form

The disease in brief

Dictyocaulose viviparus is a parasite very widespread in temperate climates, whenever 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 no natural immunity has developed. The form presented here proceeds from an inflammatory reaction occurring in the pulmonary alveolus and peripheral tissue, of the hypersensitivity type; a pulmonary infection accompanies this process dominated by lesions of emphysema and interlobular edema. These severe forms of the disease occur more often in adult cattle than in young, first-infested cattle. Adults are often left on plots reserved for them, which are difficult to replace, and this practice is associated with severe forms of the disease.

Clinic & diagnosis

The primary form is bronchitis occurring between spring and autumn, a cough in cattle at pasture, collective, without fever. If we observe fever in a cattle in the group coughing at pasture, followed by inspiratory or expiratory dyspnea, we suspect a secondary form of dictyocaulosis. Dyspnea can go as far as seeing the stomach hollow when the chest swells, and a fatal outcome cannot be excluded in these serious cases.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

-Acute bronchopneumonia -Bacterial infection stage RS24

-Bronchopneumonia-Emphysema due to RS virus

-Recovery emphysema-acute form RS28

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:

- 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