1 HS is a bacterial disease which attacks many animals but not people.

2 The signs include:
- discharge
- swellings
- fever
- bloody diarrhoea.

3 Many normal animals have the bacteria but show no signs.

Under stress, these animals show signs and pass large numbers of bacteria to infect other animals.

4 You should call the vet to advise you.
 

Husbandry Unit 10.4: 

Technical Notes 

Note: Numbers in brackets refer to illustrations in the Extension Materials.

Introduction  (5-6)

This is an acute infectious disease of buffaloes and cattle of particular importance in Asia.  Buffalo are especially sensitive.  Goats, sheep, pigs and horses may also get the disease, whereas people are not affected.

Cause of disease  (7)

The disease is caused by a bacteria called Pasteurella Multocida.  The bacteria may be present in animals without causing disease.  Under some circumstances when the animals are weaker and more stressed than normal the bacteria multiply and disease suddenly appears.
 

5 HS is a dangerous disease which can pass easily from one animal to another.

6 HS attacks
- buffaloes (very sensitive)
- cattle
- goats
- sheep
- pigs
- horses.
It does not attack people.

7 A bacteria Pasteurella Multocida causes the disease.

8 Strong animals may carry the bacteria but show no signs.
 

HS is seen as an acute condition, with sudden and serious onset that easily causes death.

Animals become dull and have high fever.  They refuse to eat and salivate more than normally.  There is also discharge from the nose.  Swellings develop typically and quickly, especially around the throat, the brisket, the dewlap and sometimes around the head.  The tongue may swell also and protrude from the mouth.  Finally, the animal has difficulty breathing because the swellings impair respiration and it may die from this obstruction of the respiratory tract.  In some cases a bloody diarrhoea may be an obvious part of the disease picture.

Sick animals may die in a few hours but sometimes disease lasts up to 3-4 days before death occurs in untreated animals.  For animals with acute disease, which are left untreated, the death rate is high.
 

The bacteria can normally be found in a small percentage of a buffalo or cattle population, apparently not causing any disease.  When fodder supply and climate are particularly unfavourable, disease outbreaks occur.  This is often seen at the beginning of the rainy season:  the scarce fodder supply at the end of dry season, the fodder change, and the increased workload, that some animals are subject to with the onset of rainy season, stress the animals and the number of outbreaks may rise dramatically.  Transportation over long distances and/or under bad (crowded) conditions, may also cause disease outbreaks.

The bacteria can be found in saliva and nasal discharge from sick animals.  In this way food, drinking water and surroundings may be contaminated, and the bacteria can survive here for some hours.  Other animals may then pick up the bacteria and, depending on their general condition, develop disease.
 

Often, observation of clinical symptoms will be sufficient to establish diagnosis.  Highly acute disease with throat swellings and high death rate suggests HS but the disease may be confused with Anthrax, Rinderpest, Blackquarter or poisoning.

Blood samples from acutely sick or recently dead animals, or samples of the fluid contained in the swellings, should be sent to the laboratory for diagnosis.  Pieces of internal organs from recently dead animals should also be sent for diagnosis.
 

They can live for a few hours and pass to other animals who eat or drink.

18 The vet knows the disease maybe HS if many cows die with swellings in the throat.

Treatment should be initiated in the earlier stages of disease.  It should consist of intravenous injections of broad-spectrum antibiotics or sulphonamides.  Recovery is possible when treatment is undertaken early.  For animals treated too late, or not treated at all, the mortality rate is high.  Prompt vaccination and antibiotic/sulphonamide treatment may be combined.

Prevention and control  (22)

The best control is annual vaccination, preferably carried out just before the high risk (rainy) season.  Vaccines are available that give immunity lasting for a year.  Immunity starts about 2 weeks after vaccination.

Calves should be more than 3 months before vaccination is given, but before this age they may acquire some immunity by suckling the milk of vaccinated dams.
 

20 Call the vet at the first signs of the disease (or when there is a sudden death among your cattle/buffalo).

22 Vaccinate all animals (except calves under 3 months) every year.
 

 

Cause

Bacteria

(7)

Susceptible animals

Many animals but not human beings

(6)

Signs

Animals may have HS but show no signs	(8)
1 Salivation and nasal discharge	(9)
2 Swellings on tongue and neck	(10)
3 Swellings on brisket and dewlap
4 Dull with high fever
5 Bloody diarrhoea
6 Difficulty in breathing	(11)
Animals usually die within 4 days without treatment	(12)

Transmission

Conditions conducive to getting and transmitting HS include:
1 Difficult conditions	(14-16)
2 Bacteria in water and food	(17)

Diagnosis

Laboratory tests

(18-19)

Treatment

Call vet for injections

(20-21)

Prevention and control

Vaccination

(22)