Synonyms

No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

Salmonella diarrhea of calves

The disease in brief

Salmonella is a bacterium that includes many species: S. typhimurium is the most regularly fearsome, S. dublin (typically bovine strain) much mentioned by some is very little present in France, the species can vary in their preeminence from one region to another, from one year to another. These bacteria are widely shared with poultry, pigs and exchanges are important via the environment: Livestock effluent water, spreading, watercourses harbor Salmonella. Livestock premises are difficult to disinfect after contamination. Infection of a herd can occur through the environment, by rodents, by carrier cattle, but also by infected inputs (feed, chicks, tools, etc.). Infected herds deliver infected milk; the meat of slaughtered cattle can also be contaminated by fecal contamination of carcasses (slaughter hygiene problem).

Salmonella poses a significant risk of transmission to humans : The elderly and children, who are most susceptible to the disease, should not approach sick groups; hygiene measures (hand washing, work clothes) should be reinforced when the disease is rife.

Clinic & diagnosis

The disease is suspected by observing diarrhea in calves aged 6 days to 6 months:

– Diarrhea containing false membranes, or hemorrhagic diarrhea + very bad odor.

– Common diarrhea accompanied by high (>1/3) or very high (>2/3) lethality

– Diarrhea accompanied by fever, drowsiness (tuphos), with tachypnea or congested mucous membranes, or pronounced enophthalmos which sets in within a few hours.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

-Acute BVD of the calf VX15

 -Coronavirus calf diarrhea -VX11.1

– Toxic diarrhea-DG42.2

– Coccidiosis-PA20.4 

– Ebola dysentery in calves -VX10.2 

Confirm a suspicion?

Collect faeces in a sterile bottle for each suspicion to adapt the control measures; the bacteriologist will be able to confirm the suspicion if necessary and specify the species in question and its sensitivity to antibiotics.

Prognosis and treatment

 The treatment is difficult in many ways:

1-Rehydration: Treatment is based primarily on controlling hydration and acid-base balance; an assessment of this is made in the general condition section:

-Calves that are tonic and have a normal sucking reflex can receive oral rehydration, but this is a case that almost does not exist with this disease.

-The other calves are perfused: the volume and composition of the perfused liquid are defined either by clinical examination alone or by laboratory evaluation.

-2-Antibacterial/general route: The risk of bacteremia/septicemia justifies the inclusion of general antibiotics in the treatment = essential

3-Antidiarrheal-antibacterial/oral route

Prevention

Protecting your herd from Salmonella requires taking a set of various precautions grouped together in a special plan: HYDG2

References

–

-Veterinary Medicine-Pocket companion -9th Edition BLOOD DC-page 310