Malignant catarrhal fever (Coryza gangraenosa bovum)

Abstract

Malignant catarrhal fever is a disease of cattle and other ruminants, which most often has a lethal outcome. The disease occurs sporadically and is very difficult to control. At a private mini cattle farm, the occurrence of malignant catarrhal fever was suspected on the grounds of anaemnestic data and results of clinical examinations. The owner said that, in addition to cattle, he also breeds sheep in a separate facility, but said these animals had not been in contact with the diseased cow. In the course of the disease, the characteristic symptoms developed so that the clinical diagnosis set earlier was subsequently confirmed. In addition to constantly elevated body temperature, changes in the eyes were observed very soon (congested blood vessels and capillaries of the white sclera with keratitis on both sides). In addition to photofobia and a copious discharge from the nasal cavities, the discharge was at first seromucous and later became mucopurrulent. In the later course of the disease, there was progressive loss of weight and exhaustion of the animal. Since therapy included, in addition to other medicines, also a glucocorticosteroid preparation, the animal aborted its fetus on the fifth day. A pathological-anatomical examination did not reveal any changes on the fetus. In spite of the applied therapy, the medical condition deteriorated from day to day, and the animal expired on the eighth day of the disease.

Keywords

• malignant catarrhal fever
• cattle