Acute phase response and clinical manifestation in outbreaks of interdigital phlegmon in dairy herds

Miia Kontturi,Reijo Junni,Minna Kujala-Wirth,Erja Malinen,Eija Seuna,Sinikka Pelkonen,Timo Soveri,Heli Simojoki

doi:10.1016/j.cimid.2019.101375

Abstract

Several Finnish dairy herds have suffered from outbreaks of interdigital phlegmon (IP). In these new types of outbreaks, morbidity was high and clinical signs severe, resulting in substantial economic losses for affected farms. In our study, we visited 18 free stall dairy herds experiencing an outbreak of IP and 3 control herds without a similar outbreak. From a total of 203 sampled cows, 60 suffered from acute stage IP. We demonstrated that acute phase response of bovine IP was evident and therefore an appropriate analgesic should be administered in the treatment of affected animals. The response was most apparent in herds with high morbidity in IP and with a bacterial infection comprising Fusobacterium necrophorum and Dichelobacter nodosus, indicating that combination of these two bacterial species affect the severity of the disease.

Highlights

Several Finnish dairy herds have recently suffered from outbreaks of interdigital phlegmon (IP)
In most of the acute IP samples (66.7 %), both F. necrophorum and D. nodosus were detected and a significant association was established between D. nodosus in IP lesions and high morbidity outbreak in the herd [14]
We investigated the association among clinical signs, bacteriological findings and acute phase proteins (APP) to evaluate the degree of infection in naturally occurring IP

Summary

Introduction

Several Finnish dairy herds have recently suffered from outbreaks of interdigital phlegmon (IP). It is evident that an apparent trauma in the interdigital cleft was not detected prior the cases of IP. In these outbreaks, morbidity of IP has usually been high and clinical signs severe, resulting in sizeable economic losses for affected herds [1]. Morbidity of IP has usually been high and clinical signs severe, resulting in sizeable economic losses for affected herds [1] Prior to these new type outbreaks, infectious hoof diseases were quite rare in Finland. Systemic signs, including fever, recumbency or anorexia appear [8,9]. IP reduces milk yield [10] and can lead to early culling of affected cows [11]

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Results

Conclusion