What is the best treatment for encephalitis in foxes?
(1) Clinical symptoms
The symptoms of infectious hepatitis in silver-black foxes and Arctic foxes are varied. When infected naturally under natural conditions, the incubation period is 10-20 days or more; when infected artificially, the incubation period is 5-6 days. This disease is divided into 3 courses: acute, subacute, and chronic.
Acute: first shows refusal to eat, slow response, body temperature rising above 41°C. Vomiting, increased thirst, course of disease 3-4 days, finally coma and death.
Subacute: first shows listlessness, the sick fox lies down, is unsteady when standing, has a staggering gait, weak hind limbs, and remittent fever. The sick fox quickly becomes emaciated, visible mucous membranes are anemic or pale and yellow-stained, and the hind limbs show incomplete paralysis or paralysis. Individual sick foxes develop unilateral or bilateral keratitis. Due to the rise in body temperature, cardiovascular system disorders appear, with heart rate reaching 100-120 beats per minute, and the pulse is arrhythmic and weak. The above symptoms appear at times and disappear at times. The sick fox alternates between excitement and inhibition, stays in a corner of the cage or in the small chamber, and shows aggression when fed. Some sick foxes have spasms of individual muscle groups, excitement or depression, and the course of disease lasts as long as 1 month, ultimately resulting in death or transition to a chronic course.
Chronic: mostly seen in contaminated fox farms, and occasionally seen in newly affected fox farms. The symptoms of sick foxes are not obvious, often showing reduced appetite or temporary loss of appetite, and sometimes gastrointestinal disorders also appear, with diarrhea and constipation alternating, and progressive emaciation. Short periods of elevated body temperature occur. Under the influence of adverse factors, death may result. In general, cases with a chronic course can be extended to the slaughter period.
(2) Treatment methods
During the initial febrile period, serum can be used for specific treatment to inhibit the reproduction and spread of the virus, but the effect is poor in the middle and late stages. In addition, gamma globulin can also provide short-term therapeutic effects.
Some people advocate injecting vitamin B12 and folic acid to treat this disease. For vitamin B12, the dose is 350-500 micrograms per adult fox and 250-300 micrograms per young fox, while folic acid is given in the feed at 0.5-0.6 milligrams per animal, lasting 10-15 days. Vaccination is the fundamental measure to prevent this disease. The fox encephalitis vaccine produced by the Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences can be used, injected once every six months, with 1 milliliter of concentrated vaccine per animal.