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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
- 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