Emphysematous abomasitis in one month

old lambsHein Snyman BVSc

DVSc Anatomic Pathology ResidentDepartment of PathobiologyOntario Veterinary College

University of Guelph

Signalment

• One month old lambs (n=3)

• Male• Rideau Arcott

History• Novice small scale operation• Farmer away on the weekend• Returned to find 3 lambs dead• Acute death within last 36

hours• Growing well

Gross findings

• Good body condition• Fibrinous peritonitis & serosal

petechiae• Abomasal mucosal haemorrhage,

necrosis and ulceration• Exuberant autolysis of the kidney

and liver

Gram + Rods

Ancillary diagnostics• Faecal flotation – NAD• Bacterial culture:

4 + Clostridium perfringens3 + Mannheimia haemolytica

• Clostridial Fluorescent antibody test (FAT)

Clostridium septicum

www.vet.uga.edu

DiagnosisMdx - Emphysematous, necrotizing and suppurative abomasitis, trans mural, regionally extensive, acute.Edx - Clostridial gangrenous abomasitis/BraxyEtiology – Clostridium septicum & C. perfringens

Braxy• Highly fatal• Acute to peracute• Treatment rarely successful• NW Europe

• Norway, Denmark, North Germany, Iceland and the Faroe islands – Bradsot

• UK, Ireland, North America and Australia

Braxy• Low prevalence• Cold winters• Overwintering on

summer pasture• Autumn, early to

mid winter• North America –

early spring

Braxy

• Severe oedema, necrosis and gangrenous inflammation of the mucosa of the abomasum

• C. septicum, C. novyi, C. perfringens type A & C

Braxy

• Good condition• 6 to 18 months• Morbidity up to 50 %• Calves• Abomasal ulcers

Pathogenesis• Poorly understood• Mucosal invasion and proliferation

without any predisposing lesion• Coarse and frozen vegetation• Toxin production• Abomasal canula – Glucose & VFA’s• Centrifugal emphysematous lesions

Ellis T.M., Rowe J.B. and Lloyd J.M. (1983). Acute abomasitis due to Clostridium septicum infection in experimental sheep. Aust. Vet. J. 60, 308-309.

Prevention

• Immunoprophylaxis• Toxoid/Bacterin• No vaccination

protocol• No Clostridial

vaccines

References• Coetzer J.A.W., Tustin R.C. Infectious

diseases of livestock, 2nd Edition, Volume Three, Section Five: Bacterial diseases, 183 Clostidium septicum infections, pg. 1869-1873.

• Ellis T.M., Rowe J.B. and Lloyd J.M. (1983). Acute abomasitis due to Clostridium septicum infection in experimental sheep. Aust. Vet. J. 60, 308-309.

• Eustis S.L. and Bergeland M.E. (1981). Suppurative abomasitis associated with Clostridium septicum infection. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 178, 732-734.

• Songer JG. (1996). Clostridial enteric diseases of domestic animals. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 9, 216-234.