How to diagnose and treat bovine actinomycosis? Introduction to prevention and treatment methods

In early May 2006, a @#@228@#@ household in Mulong Village, Bahuang Town, introduced 42 yellow cattle averaging about 8 months of age from Shandong Province. Without isolation, feeding observation, they were directly placed in the pen and co-raised with the original 20 cattle, which caused 7 cattle to be infected with actinomycosis.

1 Incidence situation

Because 1 cow in the introduced herd had already developed this disease, after mixed-herd long-distance transport, and after arriving at the destination, the introduced cattle were not isolated, fed and observed, but directly entered the feeding barn, causing the spread of the disease. From 1 cow at the time of introduction, it developed to 7 cattle by early July.

2 Clinical symptoms

This disease develops slowly and is a chronic infectious disease. It mostly causes hard swellings that are neither hot nor painful and have clear boundaries on the head, neck, submandibular area, etc., with swelling of the upper and lower jawbones. In some cases, the skin at the lesion breaks open and suppurates. After the pus is discharged, a fistula forms and cannot heal for a long time. The sick cattle have no other systemic symptoms.

3 Prevention and treatment

(1) First isolate and treat the sick cattle, and at the same time do not graze in low-lying areas; healthy cattle are forbidden to enter the isolation area. (2) Local treatment: disinfect and sterilize the lesion and surrounding area with iodine tincture and alcohol, then excise the lesion; if there is a fistula, excise it together with the fistula. Fill the excised wound cavity with iodine tincture gauze, and replace it once every 1-2 days depending on the condition. Cauterize around the wound and apply penicillin ointment. (3) Drug treatment: use penicillin and streptomycin at the same time. The method is to dilute penicillin and streptomycin and inject them around the affected area, once daily, with 5 days as one course of treatment. After two courses, most lesions had recovered. To consolidate the therapeutic effect, another course was continued.

4 Summary

(1) The occurrence of this disease was due to the livestock owner's lack of veterinary knowledge; the cattle herd introduced from other places was not isolated and observed, causing infection of healthy cattle. (2) Cattle introduced from other places must undergo strict quarantine by a professional technical department, and after arriving at the destination, they must undergo isolation and observation for a period of time before being placed in the feeding barn. (3) Actinomyces is relatively sensitive to penicillin, erythromycin, sulfonamides and iodine, and these can be selected during treatment. Treating bovine actinomycosis requires a relatively long time, and medication should be continued according to the course of treatment.