Bacillary Haemoglobinuria

Bacillary Haemoglobinuria (Red Water)

• Clostridium haemolyticum AKA Clostridium novyi Type D
• cattle and sheep
• highly fatal
• similar pathogenesis to C. novyi
• beta toxin produced
  • causes hepatic necrosis and intravascular haemolysis
• C. haemolyticum found in soil, poorly drained/wet pastures
• spores found routinely in liver and GIT and faeces of grazing animals in affected pastures
• need disease in liver casing anaerobic conditions to allow bacterial growth and toxin production
• normally associated with Liver Fluke damage
• disease occurs in some areas and some farms - distribution is poorly understood

Clinical Signs

• found dead/sudden death
  • lateral recumbency
  • bloat
  • little signs of struggle
  • blood in nostrils, mouth, rectum, vagina
• IF seen alive
  • depressed, reluctant to move, pyrexia, respiratory distress
  • red urine (haemoglobinuria) but not consistent
  • pale mucous membranes/jaundice
  • bloody froth in nostrils

Gross

• post mortem is confirmatory finding
• rapid decomposition of carcass
  • organs decomposed
• subcutaneous hameorrhages, odema, emphysema
• blood stained abdominal and thoracic fluid, large quantity and pericardium
• animal is severely anaemic
• may be jaundiced
• red urine in bladder, therefore haemoglobin in urine
• kidneys speckled with haemoglobin
• blood in lungs/trachea
• ischaemic hepatic infarct
  • usually a single large necrotic focus in the liver
  • area of necrosis, sometimes partially liquefied centre, irregular outline with a hyperaemic edge

Microscopically

• presence of Clostridia post mortem must be interpreted with great caution as they are common post mortem invaders
• FAT for organism
• identification of toxins
  • need this for diagnosis

Treatment

• unlikely
• very high doses of penicillin or oxytetracycline
• blood transfusion

Prevention

• vaccination lasts up to 6 months
• liver fluke control
• remove infected carcasses from pasture

NB: Distinguish Red Water from Black Disease! The former will have bleeding out of any orifice while the latter does not