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beef clostridial disease and pinkeye
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Clostridial Diseases and Pinkeye

For Clostridial Diseases and Pinkeye, Prevention Is Better than Treatment

Clostridial Diseases 

  • Various species of the bacterial genus Clostridium can cause severe and often fatal diseases in cattle 
  • Bacteria can form spores that survive in the soil for years
  • Cattle can become infected by consuming clostridial spores in contaminated pastures or feed, or when spores are introduced into a wound
  • Both the bacteria and the toxins they produce can cause disease 
  • Treatment options are limited, so prevention is key


Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK or Pinkeye)

  • A highly contagious disease that can spread quickly
  • U.S. cattle producers lose an estimated $150 million annually due to losses associated with pinkeye
  • In a study, calves with pinkeye weighed an average of 19.6 pounds less at weaning than healthy calves1
  • One or both eyes may be affected
  • If left untreated, pinkeye can lead to severe eye damage and blindness


For more details, click on specific diseases below: 

Blackleg

What is blackleg?

  • A bacterial disease affecting the skeletal and cardiac muscles caused by Clostridium chauvoei
  • Animals often die within 12 to 48 hours


Cattle affected

  • Occurs mostly in rapidly growing animals 6 months to 2 years of age, but other ages can be affected
  • Animals are often in excellent body condition and on a high plane of nutrition


Disease development

  • Blackleg doesn’t pass from animal to animal; cattle become infected from eating spores in soil
  • Spores can exist in the animal’s bloodstream and muscles without causing disease
  • Usually, some kind of muscle trauma enables the spores to grow and release toxins, causing local tissue death


Signs

  • Lameness, depression, anorexia, fever
  • Swellings can develop at various body locations


Diagnosis

  • Presumptive diagnosis made based on signs and visible lesions
  • Confirmation by tissue testing
  • Affected muscles are dark red or black with a rancid odor


Treatment

  • Because animals typically die quickly, there’s often no time for treatment
  • If there is time, penicillin G procaine and supportive care (anti-inflammatory drugs, fluids) may help


Disposal

  • Animals that die from blackleg can seed the environment with spores, increasing risk for future outbreaks
  • Carcasses should be burned or buried in deep ground


Prevention

  • Vaccinate cattle under 2 years of age
  • Vaccinate cows in late gestation to help generate antibodies in colostrum

Malignant Edema (Gas Gangrene)

What is gas gangrene (malignant edema)?

  • A bacterial disease caused by Clostridium septicum, but other species may be involved, including C. chauvoei, C. sordellii, C. perfringens and C. novyi 


Cattle affected

  • Cattle of any age


Disease development

  • Spores from the environment enter the animal through wounds in the skin or mucosa
  • May occur after procedures such as castration


Signs

  • Anorexia
  • Fever
  • Pitting edema, sloughing skin


Diagnosis

  • Presumptive diagnosis made based on signs and visible lesions
  • Confirmation by tissue testing


Treatment

  • If there is time, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and tissue fenestration may help


Prevention

  • Proper sanitation of surgical instruments
  • Multivalent vaccines are available

Enterotoxemia

What is enterotoxemia?

  • A bacterial disease of the digestive tract caused by Clostridium perfringens Type C
  • Infection can also occur with C. perfringens Types A, B and D, but less commonly


Cattle affected

  • Newborn/Young calves


Disease development

  • C. perfringens bacteria, in low numbers, are normal inhabitants of the GI tract
  • Inciting causes, such as stress or large intake of feed or milk, can result in bacterial overgrowth
  • The bacteria produce a beta toxin, which damages the gut wall and can be absorbed into the bloodstream


Signs

  • Depression, abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhea (sometimes with blood and mucus)
  • Calf may go into shock, have convulsions and die suddenly


Diagnosis

  • Tissue analysis (necropsy), bacterial culture


Treatment

  • Antibiotics, Clostridium anti-toxin and supportive care including intravenous fluids and anti-inflammatory drugs


Prevention

  • Vaccinate dams at pregnancy check to improve colostrum
  • Vaccinate calves shortly after birth

Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis (IBK or Pinkeye)

What is pinkeye?

  • A highly contagious disease, causing inflammation of the cornea (clear surface of the eye) and conjunctiva (pink tissue lining the eyelids)
  • Can lead to corneal ulceration and blindness
  • Bacteria involved may include Moraxella bovis, Moraxella bovoculi, Mycoplasma bovis and Mycoplasma bovoculi 


Cattle affected

  • Calves are more likely to develop pinkeye, but any age can be affected


Disease development

  • Pinkeye is multifactorial, meaning that multiple factors can contribute to the development of disease
  • It usually starts with eye irritation
  • Bacteria are transmitted by contact with secretions from an infected animal, face flies or objects carrying organisms


Signs

  • Excessive tearing, sensitivity to light
  • Loss of appetite
  • Ulcer on surface of cornea, which may appear as white spot


Diagnosis

  • Physical exam
  • Culture and sensitivity
  • Advanced diagnostics, if needed


Treatment

  • Topical and/or injectable antibiotics
  • Surgery in severe cases
  • Early intervention is best to minimize eye damage and reduce bacterial spread


Prevention

  • Vaccination before typical pinkeye season
  • Clip weeds and tall grass from pasture where possible
  • Recurrent infections in a herd may benefit from custom-made vaccines

Beef Clostridial and Pinkeye Products

Alpha™ Vaccines

Bar-Vac® Vaccines

Caliber® Vaccines

Ocu-guard® MB-1 Vaccines

Cattle Clostridial Education and Resources

Defense Is the Best Offense Against Overeating Disease

Losing an animal is never easy, especially when it feels as if it happened out of the blue. One culprit may be enterotoxemia, more commonly referred to as overeating disease.

 

Pinkeye: Understanding the Disease and Prevention Tactics

Affecting more than 10 million calves annually, pinkeye is a costly infection for both producers and cattle, putting infected animals at risk of lower growth rate, potential blindness and permanent damage, if left untreated.

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1 Snowder GD, Van Vleck LD, Cundiff LV, Bennett GL. Genetic environmental factors associated with incidence of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in preweaned beef calves. J Anim Sci. 2005;83:507–518.

 

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