brain, walking or turning in circles, dizziness, uneven gait, impaired
vision, etc.
Treatment consists in trephining the skull and removing the parasite, an
operation which requires a skillful operator and is frequently
unsuccessful. Unless the parasite is removed affected cattle almost
invariably die.
[Illustration: FIG. 22.--Hydatids (_Echinococcus granulosus_) in portion
of hog's liver.]
[Illustration: FIG. 23.--Thin-necked bladder worm (TÊnia hydatigena)
from abdominal cavity of a steer.]
TAPEWORM CYSTS IN THE MUSCLES, BEEF MEASLES.[19]
Small tapeworm cysts (_TÊnia saginatÊ_), about the size of a pea, found in
the muscles of cattle are the larvÊ of the common tapeworm of man. Cattle
become infected from feed or water which has been contaminated by the feces
of persons harboring the adult tapeworms, and human beings in turn become
infected by eating raw or rare beef infested with the larval stage (measly
beef).
To prevent cattle from becoming infested with this parasite care should be
taken that human feces are not placed where they will contaminate the feed
or drinking water.
This parasite is very common in cattle in the United States, at least 1 per
cent being infested. As a result considerable loss is entailed through
condemnations of beef carcasses by meat inspectors, because of the presence
of tapeworm cysts. All this loss could be avoided and the danger of
tapeworm infestation in human beings from this source could be removed by
the observance of proper precautions in disposing of human excreta. At the
same time much sickness and many deaths from diseases (hookworm, typhoid
fever, etc.) caused by soil pollution would be prevented, and farm life
would be rendered much safer than under the poor sanitary conditions which
are responsible for the high percentage of tapeworm cysts among cattle in
the United States.
THREAD WORMS IN THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY.
Thread worms (_Setaria labiato-papillosa_) 2 to 4 inches long are
frequently found in the abdominal cavity. They seem to cause little or no
trouble. The embryos produced by these worms enter the blood vessels.
According to NoÈ, they are spread from one animal to another by stable
flies (see p. 503), but this has not been definitely proved. The roundworms
found occasionally in the anterior chamber of the eye (see p. 531) are
perhaps immature forms of this species which have reached this location
during their migration.
LUNG WORMS.
Lung worms (_Dictyocaulus viviparus_, fig. 24) in cattle are thread-like
worms 2 to 4 inches long, found in the bronchial tubes and producing a
condition known as verminous bronchitis. The life history of the parasite
is not fully known, but infection is evidently derived through the medium
of pastures where infested cattle have grazed. In the later stages of the
disease the cattle cough, especially at night. Young cattle are more
seriously affected than old animals.
_Treatment for lung worms._--Various treatments have been advocated for
lung worms, including fumigating with different substances and injections
of remedies into the trachea by means of a large hypodermic syringe or by a
special spraying apparatus, but none have been very successful from a
practical standpoint. About all that can be done is to feed affected
animals well and protect them from exposure, removing them from the pasture
and keeping them in dry yards or stables maintained in a cleanly, sanitary
condition.
The methods of prevention in general are similar to those described under
the discussion of the twisted stomach worm (p. 521).
[Illustration: FIG. 24.--Lung worm (_Dictyocaulus viviparus_) of cattle.
Outlines showing natural size of male (above) and female.]
PARASITES OF THE BLOOD.
Certain flukes (_Schistosoma bovis_ and related species) which live in the
blood vessels (the large veins) of cattle in tropical and sub-tropical
countries cause bloody urine and diarrhea, the feces being mixed with
blood. These parasites have not yet been discovered in the United States,
although the natural conditions are such in some parts of the country that
they are liable to become established if introduced.
The embryos of _Setaria labiato-papillosa_ (p. 529) which occur in the
blood may be found by microscopical examination. They apparently cause no
trouble.
The organism which causes Texas fever is a protozoan parasite (_Piroplasma
bigeminum_) of microscopic size, which lives in the blood and attacks the
red blood corpuscles. For a discussion of this parasite and the disease
which it produces see page 476 of this volume.
Other parasites which live in the blood cause serious diseases known as
surra and nagana (p. 500), but as yet neither of these diseases has gained
a foothold in the United States.
PARASITES OF THE EYE.
Small roundworms, one-third to four-fifths of an inch in length, may occur
in the ducts of the lacrimal glands. Several species all belonging to the
same genus (_Thelazia_) are known. They sometimes escape from their usual
location and may be found on the surface of the eyeball beneath the lids,
or even in the eyeball. It has been supposed by some writers that the worms
seen in the interior of the eyeball ("snakes in the eye") are immature
stages of _Setaria labiato-papilosa_ (see p. 529) which have gone astray
from the normal course of their migration, but the correctness of this
supposition is uncertain.
Worms in the eyes and lacrimal ducts may cause inflammation, in which case
the eyes may be syringed with an antiseptic, such as a weak solution of
coal-tar stock dip, and iodoform ointment applied if the condition is
severe.
When worms are present in the eyeball itself, their removal depends upon
surgical treatment, usually not advisable, as the worms in that location
either cause but little trouble or disappear without treatment.
FOOTNOTES:
[11] Further information may be found in a very full report on "Insects
Affecting Domestic Animals," issued as Bulletin 5, new series, of the
Bureau of Entomology of this department.
[12] Further information on fly repellents may be found in Bulletin 131 of
the Department of Agriculture.
[13] For further information consult Farmers' Bulletin 1097.
[14] For further information consult Circular 115 of the Bureau of
Entomology.
[15] For further information consult Farmers' Bulletin 857.
[16] For further information see Farmers' Bulletin 909.
[17] For a fuller discussion see Farmers' Bulletin 1017, issued by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
[18] For a more complete discussion consult Farmers' Bulletin 1057,
Bulletins 130 and 152 of the Bureau of Animal Industry, and Bulletins 15
(technical series), 72, and 106 of the Bureau of Entomology, all issued by
the United States Department of Agriculture.
[19] For further information consult Bureau of Animal Industry Circular
214.
MYCOTIC STOMATITIS OF CATTLE.
By JOHN R. MOHLER, V. M. D.,
_Chief, Bureau of Animal Industry._
INTRODUCTION.
Numerous letters have been received by this bureau in recent years relative
to the existence of a disease affecting the mouths and feet of cattle in
certain Eastern and Central Western States. Later reports indicate that the
malady has made its appearance in the Southwest, where it has caused much
alarm among the stockmen owing to its similarity to the foot-and-mouth
disease of Europe. The disease, which is to be discussed under the name of
mycotic stomatitis, has been carefully investigated by this department on
various occasions, and it is with the view of giving the results of these
clinical investigations as well as to assert its noninfectiousness and to
differentiate it from the virulent foot-and-mouth disease, which it so
closely simulates, that this article is prepared.
NAME AND SYNONYMS.
The name stomatitis signifies that there is present in the affected animals
an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth. This inflammation,
which quickly develops into ulcers, is one of the principal and most
frequently observed lesions. Mycotic stomatitis refers to that form of
stomatitis which results from eating food containing irritant fungi. Thus
the name not only suggests the cause of the disease, but also indicates the
location of the earliest and most prominent symptoms. Other names which
have been applied to this disease by different writers are sporadic aphthÊ;
aphthous stomatitis; sore mouth of cattle; sore tongue; benign, simple, or
noninfectious foot-and-mouth disease; mycotic aphthous stomatitis; and
sporadic stomatitis aphthosa.
CHARACTER OF THE DISEASE.
Mycotic stomatitis is a sporadic, or noninfectious, disease which affects
cattle of all ages that are on pasture, but more especially milch cows. It
is characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membrane of
the mouth, producing salivation and inappetence, and secondarily affecting
the feet, which become sore and swollen. Superficial erosions of the skin,
particularly of the muzzle and of the teats and udders of cows, may also be
present, with some elevation of temperature and emaciation.
CAUSE.
This disease, as its name indicates, results from the eating of forage
containing fungi or molds. It is probable that more than one fungus is
involved in the production of this disease, but no particular species has
been definitely proved to be the causative factor. Several attempts have
been made by the writer to determine the exact cause and also to transmit
the disease to other animals by direct inoculation, but with negative
results. Suspicion, however, has been directed by various observers to the
Uromyces and the red and black rusts that occur on clovers. These fungi
cause very severe irritation of the lining membrane of the mouth, producing
sometimes a catarrhal, at other times an aphthous, and occasionally an
ulcerous stomatitis. The fungus of rape, etc. (_Polydesmus excitiosus_), is
very irritating to the mouths and feet of cattle, causing severe
inflammation and in some instances producing symptoms that have been
mistaken for foot-and-mouth disease. The fungi (Penicillium and Puccinia)
found on grasses have also been credited with the production of stomatitis.
The fact that this disease disappears from a locality at a certain time and
reappears at irregular intervals would suggest the probability that certain
climatic conditions were essential for the propagation of the causative
fungi, since it is well known that the malady becomes prevalent after a
hot, dry period has been followed by rain, thus furnishing the requirements
necessary for the luxuriant development of molds and fungi. Owing to this
fact the disease is observed in one locality during one season and in an
entirely different section another year, but reappears in the former center
when favorable conditions prevail. In this way the affection has occurred
at irregular intervals in certain sections of both the United States and
Canada.
SYMPTOMS AND LESIONS.
Among the first symptoms observed in mycotic stomatitis are inability to
eat, suspension of rumination, frequent movements of the lips with the
formation of froth on their margins, and in some cases a dribbling of
saliva from the mouth. There is a desire to eat, and frequent attempts to
take food are made, but prehension is very difficult. If, however, feed is
placed on the back of the tongue, it is readily masticated and swallowed.
If the mouth is examined at this time, it will be found red and hot, and
exceptionally small blisters will be seen, which, however, quickly become
eroded and develop into active ulcers varying in size from one-eighth to 1
inch in diameter. Where several ulcers have coalesced a large and
irregularly indented patch is formed. These erosions are most frequently
found on the gums around the incisor teeth, on the dental pad, inside the
lips, and on the tip of the tongue, but they also occur on the cheeks,
interdental space, and dorsum of the tongue. The ulcers have a hemorrhagic
border, a depressed suppurating surface, and contain a brownish or
yellowish colored dÈbris, which is soon replaced by granulation tissue. As
a result of this sloughing of the tissues and the retention of food in the
mouth, a very offensive odor is exhaled. The muzzle becomes dry and parched
in appearance, which condition is shortly followed by erosions and
exfoliations of the superficial layer of the skin. Adherent brownish crusts
and scabs form over the parts, and similar lesions are seen around the
nostrils and external surface of the lips.
In some cases there are associated with these alterations a slight swelling
and painfulness in the region of the pasterns, at times affecting the
forefeet, at other times the hind feet, and occasionally all four feet. In
a few cases the swelling may extend above the fetlock, but it has never
been observed above the knee or hock. The skin around the coronet may
occasionally become fissured and the thin skin in the cleft of the foot
eroded and suppurated, but without the formation of vesicles. As a result
of these feet lesions, the affected animal may assume a position with its
back arched and the limbs propped under the body as in a case of founder,
and will manifest much pain and lameness in walking. If it lies down, the
animal shows reluctance in getting up, and although manifesting no
inclination to move about, when forced to do so there is more or less
stiffness and a tendency to kick or shake the foot as if to dislodge a
foreign body from between the claws.
In some outbreaks the milch cows have slight superficial erosions on the
teats which at times extend to the udder. The cracks in the skin are filled
with serum and form brownish-colored scabs. The teats become tender and the
milk secretion diminishes; in some cases it disappears. A similar tendency
toward the formation of fissures and scabs on the skin of the neck and
shoulders has manifested itself in a recent outbreak in Texas, and this
feature was likewise noticeable in the disease when it occurred in Maryland
and Virginia in 1889.
In mild cases only the mouth lesions may be observed, or these alterations
may be associated with one or more of the other above-described symptoms,
but in severe cases, where there is a generalized mycotic intoxication, one
animal may show all these alterations. When the disease is well developed
the general appearance of the animal is one of great lassitude, and it
either stands off by itself with hind feet drawn under the body and its
forefeet extended, or it assumes a recumbent position. Owing to the
inability to eat and to the general systemic disturbance present, the
animal loses flesh very rapidly and becomes greatly emaciated in the latter
stages of the disease. The temperature and pulse are somewhat increased,
the former 2 or 3 degrees, the latter to from 75 to 90 beats per minute.
The fever is not lasting, and these symptoms are soon modified. The animal
has an anxious look, and in a few cases there is a gastrointestinal
irritation, the feces being thin, of a dark color, and of an offensive
odor.
PROGNOSIS AND MORTALITY.
Mycotic stomatitis is not a serious disease, and in uncomplicated cases
recoveries soon follow the removal of the cause and the application of the
indicated remedies. In such cases complete restoration may take place
within one week. In mild outbreaks a large percentage of the animals will
recover without treatment, but that the disease is fatal is shown by the
fact that animals which develop an aggravated form of the affection succumb
if not treated. In such animals death occurs in 6 or 8 days, but the
mortality in the serious outbreaks thus far investigated has been less than
0.5 per cent. The course of this disease is irregular and runs from 7 to 15
days, the average case covering a period of about 10 days.
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS.
FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.
In examining a case of mycotic stomatitis it is important not to mistake it
for foot-and-mouth disease, which has appeared in this country on six
occasions only. This may be easily accomplished by taking into
consideration the fact that in the contagious foot-and-mouth disease there
is a rapid infection of the entire herd, as well as of any hogs and sheep
that may be on the premises. It is also readily transmitted to neighboring
herds by the spread of the infection from diseased animals, but it never
occurs spontaneously. The characteristic lesion of foot-and-mouth disease
is the appearance of vesicles containing serous fluid in the mouth and upon
the udder, teats, heels, and coronary bands of the affected animals.
Drooling is profuse, and there is a peculiar smacking sound made by sucking
the affected lips.
Mycotic stomatitis occurs sporadically on widely separated farms, affecting
only a few animals in each herd, and the lesions produced consist of
erosions without the typical vesicular formations of foot-and-mouth
disease. The failure of the vesicles, if any appear, to spread extensively
in the mouth, the absence of these blisters on other portions of the body--
notably the teats and udder, and characteristically the feet--together with
the absence of infection in the herd, and the inability to transmit the
disease to calves by inoculation, distinguish between this affection and
foot-and-mouth disease. The erosions of the mouth are not so extensive and
they heal more rapidly in mycotic stomatitis. The swelling of the feet and
stiffness of the animal are also more marked in mycotic stomatitis.
ERGOTISM.
The lesions resulting from ergotism may be differentiated from those of
mycotic stomatitis by the lack of ulcerative eruptions in the mouth and by
the location of the lesions at the tips of the ears, end of the tail, or
upon the lower part of the legs, usually below the knees or hocks. The
lesions of ergotism do not take the form of ulcers or festers, but the end
of the limb affected is diseased "in toto" and the eruption extends
entirely around the limbs, followed soon afterwards by a distinct line of
demarcation between the healthy skin above and the diseased below. The
absence of suppurating sores between the claws and on the mucous membrane
of the mouth, the knowledge that the lesion upon the limb in question
extends uninterruptedly around it, and the presence of ergotized seeds in
the hay or grain fed the animals should point conclusively to a diagnosis
of ergotism.
FOUL FOOT.
In foul foot, or ground itch, of cattle, the inflammation of the skin and
toes usually affects but one foot. It begins as a superficial inflammation
followed by sloughing, ulceration, and the formation of fistulous tracts
which may involve the tendons, bones, and joints. The mouth remains
unaffected, and the presence of the disease may be traced to filth and poor
drainage.
NECROTIC STOMATITIS.
In necrotic stomatitis (calf diphtheria) there is a formation of yellowish
cheesy patches in the mouth without any lesions of the feet or udder. It
affects sucking calves chiefly, and is caused by the _Bacillus
necrophorus._
TREATMENT.
The treatment of mycotic stomatitis should consist in first removing the
herd of cattle from the pasture in which they have been running. The
affected animals should, if it is possible, be brought to the barn or
corral and fed on soft, nutritious food, such as bran mashes, ground feed,
and gruels. A bucket of clear, cool water should be kept constantly in the
manger, so that the animal may drink or rinse the mouth at its pleasure;
and it will be found beneficial to dissolve 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of
borax or 1 tablespoonful of potassium chlorate in each of the first two
buckets of water taken during the day. If the animals are gentle enough to
be handled, the mouth should be swabbed out daily with antiseptic washes,
such as a 2 per cent solution of carbolic acid or a 1 per cent solution of
compound solution of cresol or of permanganate of potassium, or 1 part of
hydrogen peroxid to 2 parts of water. This should be followed by
astringents, such as one-half tablespoonful of alum, borax, or chlorate of
potassium placed on the tongue. Probably a more satisfactory method of
administering the antiseptic treatment to a large number of animals would
be to mix thoroughly 2 teaspoonfuls of pure carbolic acid every morning in
a quart of bran mash and give to each affected animal for a period of five
days. Range cattle may be more readily treated by the use of medicated salt
placed in troughs accessible to the animals. This salt may be prepared by
pouring 4 ounces of crude carbolic acid upon 12 quarts of ordinary barrel
salt, after which they are thoroughly mixed. The lesions of the feet should
be treated with a 2 per cent solution of carbolic acid, while the fissures
and other lesions of the skin will be benefited by the application of
carbolized vaseline or zinc ointment. If the animals are treated in this
manner and carefully fed, the disease will rapidly disappear.
INDEX.
Abdomen--
dropsy affecting, causes, symptoms, and treatment, 47
inflammation, causes, symptoms, and treatment, 224
of calf, dropsy, description, and treatment, 180
wounds, causes, symptoms, and treatment, 43
Abdominal cavity, kinds of parasites affecting, 529
Abortion--
contagious--
description and causes, 165
treatment and prevention, 170
noncontagious--
causes, 165
treatment, 170
Abscess--
bacteria causing, 237
ear treatment, 355
lung, description, 99
navel, cause and treatment, 249
orbital and periorbital, symptoms and treatment, 352
Abscesses--
danger in castration of cattle, 300
treatment, 295
Absorbents, description, 75
_Achorion schonleinii_, fungus causing _Tinea favosa_, 332
Acids--
mineral, poisoning, description and treatment, 54
poisoning, description and treatment, 54
vegetable, poisonous, description and treatment, 61
Aconite poisoning, description and treatment, 63
Actinomycosis--
description and symptoms, 440-449
jawbone, description and treatment, 442
lungs, 442
prevention and treatment, 445-446
relation to public health, 447
Adenoma, description, 310
Administration of medicines, chapter by Leonard Pearson, 7-11
Afterbirth, retention, causes, symptoms, and treatment, 220
Air tubes, lung, parasites affecting, description and treatment, 530
Air under the skin, description, symptoms, and treatment, 334
Albumin, urine, description and treatment, 121
Albuminuria, description and treatment, 121
Alkalies, poisoning, description and treatment, 59
Amaurosis, causes, symptoms, and treatment, 348
Anaphrodisia, cause, prevention, and treatment, 149
Anasarca of the skin, causes, symptoms, and treatment, 330
Anesthesia, uses in operations, 289
Aneurism, description, 85
Angioma tumor, description, 310
Animal Industry Bureau, experiments against hemorrhagic septicemia, 401
Animal parasites of cattle, chapter by B. H. Ranson, 502-531
Animal products, poisonous, description and treatment, 71
Anthrax--
cause, symptoms, treatment, etc., 449-458
human, description, 458
serum, relation to blackleg, 458
symptomatic, description, cause, treatment, etc., 449-458
treatment by use of serum, 455
Aphtha, calf, description and treatment, 263
Aphtha parasite (_Saccharomyces albicans_), cause, 263
Aphthous fever. _See_ Foot-and-mouth disease.
Aphthous stomatitis, reference, 532
Apoplexy--
cerebral, description and treatment, 106
parturient, description, symptoms, and treatment, 226
Appetite--
depraved, description, causes and treatment, 28
Loss, symptom of foot-and-mouth disease, 383
Aqueous humor of eye, description, 341
Argentina, foot-and-mouth disease, 386
Arsenic poisoning, description, symptoms, and treatment, 54
Arsenical dips--
for destroying cattle ticks, 488
use against screw worms, 507
Arsenical vapor, danger of inhalation in making cattle dip, 489
Arteries--
and veins, wounds, description and treatment, 83
obstruction, description and treatment, 85