Lymphocytopenia in a Calf with Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis: A Case Report

O.T Lasisi,J.S Akinbobola

doi:10.19026/ijava.8.2694

Abstract

Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis, also referred to as Pink Eye, is a highly contagious disease that causes inflammation and ulceration of the cornea and conjunctiva of the eye. This report describes a case of lymphocytopenia in a 1 year old heifer. A Red Bororo heifer was presented to the University of Abuja Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She had a history of bumping into an object. Clinical signs included epiphora, conjunctivitis, with varying degrees of keratitis and lacrimation. Rectal temperature was 38.4oc and respiratory rate was 28 (cycles /minute). Pulse rate was 48 beats/minute. Blood samples and ocular swab were sent to the laboratory. The ocular swab culture and subsequent identification implicated gram negative, oxidase positive rods and gram positive, coagulase positive cocci as causative agents of the infection. The direct blood smear, wet mount and buffy coat technique revealed that the calf was negative for babesiosis and trypanosomosis. Microbiological examination revealed the presence of only <em>Moraxella bovis</em> in the heifer presented while <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> was isolated from the other four in-contact cattle. The blood picture also indicated moderately low lymphocytopenia. The animal was treated with 2 doses of long acting oxytetracycilne, 4 days apart, and the blood and microbiological tests were repeated post-treatment. Thereafter, the lymphocyte value returned to values within the normal range. It is important to assay the lymphocyte count in cases of bovine pink eye, so as to prevent dangers that may arise with very low levels of lymphocyte count.

Highlights

The pathogen most commonly isolated from Pink eye is Moraxella bovis
After 10 days, there was no appearance of the infection in that particular holding. This present case report was focusing on the infection of a heifer and some in-contact cattle. This is similar to the work of Lasisi et al (2010) in which a group of calves suffered from anaemia and mortality as a result of sucking activities of short-nosed louse Haematopinus eurysternus
The changes leucocyte counts in the acute stage of disease are important in disease progression. This phenomenon of lymphocytopenia has been in reported in pure bred cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata in Saudi Arabia (Omer et al, 2002) in both cattle and buffaloes experimentally infected with Foot-and-mouth disease virus in India (Mohan et al, 2008) The phenomenon has been described in natural bovine trypanosomosis in Brazil and Bolivia (Silva et al, 1999), which has been linked to the activity of neuraminidase produced in vivo by pathogenic trypanosomes (Antoine-Moussiaux et al, 2009)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The pathogen most commonly isolated from Pink eye is Moraxella bovis (gram negative bacillus). There was a history of bumping into object, lacrimation and anorexia, which began few days before the case was presented The client said he noticed the same signs in 4 other calves in the herd, but presented only this calf because she was the one badly affected. Bacterial characteristics: Moraxella bovis: Gram-negative plump non-motile rods, Catalase positive, Oxidase positive, a- hemolytic organism with shiny colonies on blood agar. Staphylococcus aureus: Gram-positive non-motile cocci, Catalase positive, Oxidase negative, Coagulase positive, a-hemolytic yellow colonies on blood agar. Follow up: After treatment, the animal was discharged and the farm was visited to conduct clinical examination for other in-contact animals (Table 2) that were showing some signs similar to the one just discharged and other apparently healthy ones.

Result

Findings

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION