Cattle pulmonary disease
The contagious bovine pleuropneumonia , also known as infectious bovine pleuropneumonia (engl. Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, CBPP ) is referred to, is a highly contagious bacterial infectious disease in cattle and game cattle ( buffalo , yak , buffalo ). It is classified and listed as particularly dangerous by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The lung disease is caused by Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides causes and manifests itself in severe, fibrinous (croupy) inflammation of the lungs and pleura ( pleuropneumonia). The disease is one of the mycoplasmoses and occurs today mainly in Africa, where it occurs endemically. In the Federal Republic of Germany it is notifiable according to the ordinance on notifiable animal diseases in the currently valid version and must not be treated with antibiotics. Vaccination is obsolete in CBPP-free areas such as Central Europe and North America.
Pathogen and disease development
The causative agent of the lung disease is Mycoplasma mycoides ssp. mycoides , with only the small colony type (sc) causing the disease. The pathogen was first discovered by Edmond Nocard and Émile Roux in 1898 and is the first scientifically described mycoplasma . Only cattle are presumably susceptible. Although the pathogen could be isolated from sheep and goats, it probably does not cause any disease there. Under certain circumstances, however, these even-toed ungulates play an important role in the spread of pathogens, which is why they are included in the preventive measures under animal disease law.
The infection occurs primarily aerogenically in the form of an airborne droplet infection, i.e. through coughed up secretion and through the absorption of contaminated dust via the respiratory tract.
Clinical picture
The incubation period is 5 to 207 days, usually between 20 and 40 days. Animals older than six months are particularly susceptible. The pulmonary disease can manifest itself acutely (rarely peracute) or chronically. It manifests itself clinically in fatigue , fever , shortness of breath , cough and nasal discharge, decreased milk, diarrhea and constipation alternating, low urine excretion (oliguria with a dark yellow to brown urine), emaciation. If the course is chronic, the cough can only occur under exertion. The peracute form has a mortality of up to 70%.
Calves are characterized by a faster disease course compared to adult cattle. In the calves, the disease manifests itself primarily in the form of inflammation of the joints , which as a complication can be associated with an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart or myocardium .
Combat
Treatment is prohibited under animal health law in disease-free areas . Lung disease is notifiable in Germany and infected animals are usually killed and disposed of harmlessly. According to the international guidelines of the OIE, it is also possible to slaughter positive animals and their contact animals.
The control is mainly carried out through epidemiological measures and monitoring of animal traffic (import controls). Live vaccines are used in endemic areas (Africa) .
history
The disease has been known in Europe since the 18th century. With the growing animal traffic, it was introduced to America, Africa and Australia in the 19th century, from the latter also to Asia.
In the industrialized countries the disease was already considered to be eradicated at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, but it flared up again in the First World War, starting in Eastern Europe. The last outbreak in Germany was observed in 1926.
The main distribution area today is Africa (Sub-Saharan areas). Despite initial renovation successes in the 1960s, the number of outbreaks is on the rise again due to the numerous civil wars and the resulting decline in veterinary police measures. Until recently, there have also been individual outbreaks in western and southwestern Europe. The last time the cattle epidemic occurred in Europe was in Italy in 1993 and in Portugal in 1999.
literature
- Rolle / Mayr (Ed.): Medical microbiology, infection and epidemic theory . Enke Verlag Stuttgart, 8th edition 2007. ISBN 3-8304-1060-3
- World Organization for Animal Health (OIE): Information on aquatic and terrestrial animal diseases: OIE - World Organization for Animal Health
