Actinobacillosis, also known as "wooden tongue", is caused by Actinobacillus lignieresii bacteria and affects the soft tissues of cattle, buffalo, and sheep. It enters through breaks in the skin or mouth and causes painful granulomas and abscesses, especially in the tongue and lymph nodes. Clinical signs include drooling, inability to eat, and enlarged lymph nodes. Treatment involves oral or intravenous iodides. Risk factors include grazing on abrasive or spiny pastures and copper deficiency.
Actinobacillosis, also known as "wooden tongue", is caused by Actinobacillus lignieresii bacteria and affects the soft tissues of cattle, buffalo, and sheep. It enters through breaks in the skin or mouth and causes painful granulomas and abscesses, especially in the tongue and lymph nodes. Clinical signs include drooling, inability to eat, and enlarged lymph nodes. Treatment involves oral or intravenous iodides. Risk factors include grazing on abrasive or spiny pastures and copper deficiency.
Actinobacillosis, also known as "wooden tongue", is caused by Actinobacillus lignieresii bacteria and affects the soft tissues of cattle, buffalo, and sheep. It enters through breaks in the skin or mouth and causes painful granulomas and abscesses, especially in the tongue and lymph nodes. Clinical signs include drooling, inability to eat, and enlarged lymph nodes. Treatment involves oral or intravenous iodides. Risk factors include grazing on abrasive or spiny pastures and copper deficiency.
Actinobacillosis, also known as "wooden tongue", is caused by Actinobacillus lignieresii bacteria and affects the soft tissues of cattle, buffalo, and sheep. It enters through breaks in the skin or mouth and causes painful granulomas and abscesses, especially in the tongue and lymph nodes. Clinical signs include drooling, inability to eat, and enlarged lymph nodes. Treatment involves oral or intravenous iodides. Risk factors include grazing on abrasive or spiny pastures and copper deficiency.
(Wooden Tongue) Introduction • Actionbacillosis also called as “wooden tongue” is sporadically occurring specific infectious disease • Effects softer tissues (lymph nodes, tongue, lungs, and deeper layers of skin) • Rarely involve upper GIT including esophagous, rumen and reticulum • Characterized by presence of granulomas with pus containing small, hard yellow to white granules • Manifests as Chronic pyogranulomatous inflammatory condition Etiology • Caused by gram negative bacteria belonging to genus Actinobacillus • Actinobacillus lignieresii is responsilble for “wooden tongue” • Normal inhabitant of upper GIT of ruminants • Becomes opportunistic pathogen-once penetrated deeper soft tissue through integumental or mucosal break Host Range • Effects mostly cattle, buffaloes and sheep • Also occur in horse, dogs and chickens • In horses and humans it is associated with animal bite Distribution • Worldwide distribution • Usually occurs sporadically preferentially in areas with copper deficiency or pastures with spiny bushes • Common in sheep-raising countries Transmission • Normal inhabitant of oral cavity and rumen • Enters tissue of the mouth through epithelial damage associated with rough fodder e.g. containing sharp stems and thorns where it multiplies locally • Discharging abscess contaminate pasture and pathogen survive for many days Clinical Signs • In cattle, tongue is mainly affected “wooden tongue”and lymph nodes of head and neck • Characteristic leision is granuloma of tongue with discharge of pus to exterior • Infection usually begins as an acute inflammation with sudden onset of; • Inability to eat and drink • Drooling of saliva Continue….
• Enlargement and abscessation of local lymph nodes head and neck which are firm at palpation • Later on, abscess rupture and discharge yellowish creamy pus containing granules • Occasionally, lungs, rumen, udder or other internal organs may be effected • In sheep, tongue is not commonly involved, but abscess formation at lymph node and skin of the face, lips, nose, jaw and neck may be seen Continue…. Continue… Pathogenesis • Local infection by the organism causes an acute inflammatory reaction and the subsequent development of granulomatous lesions in which necrosis and suppuration occur, often with the discharge of pus to the exterior. • Spread to regional lymph nodes with ensuing lymphadenitis is usual • Lingual involvement in cattle causes interference with prehension and mastication because of acute inflammation in the early stages and • distortion of the tongue at a later stage. • Visceral involvement is recorded and is identical with that described under actinomycosis. Risk Factors • When animals graze abrasive pasture species or pastures with spiny awns • Transmission may be enhanced by infected discharges contaminating these pastures or feeds • Higher prevalence of this disease in cattle in areas of copper deficiency Zoonotic Implication • Rarely associated with human disease • Has been isolated from bite wounds inflicted by horses and ruminants Treatment • Iodides are standard treatment • Oral or intravenous iodides can be used • Potassium iodide 6-10 g/day for 7-10 days given orally to cattle is effective • Treatment must be discontinued when symptoms iodism develop e.g lacrimation, anorexia, coughing, and appearance of dandruff • Sodium iodide 70 mg/kg can be given IV AS 10% or 20% solution in one dose to both cattle and sheep • Occasionally animal show distress, including restlessness, dyspnea, tachycardia, and staggering dring injections of sodium iodide • Abortion occasionally occurs following treatment of heavily pregnant cows with sodium iodide Postmortem Findings • Necropsy examination is not usually performed in cattle affected by the disease • In sheep, lymphangitis and abscesses containing thick, tenacious, yellow- green pus occur around the local lesion • Typical club colonies are visible on staining sections of affected Continue… Diagnosis • Clinical signs • PM findings Differential Diagnosis • Foreign bodies in the mouth • Esophageal obstruction • Tuberculosis • Cutaneous lymphosarcoma Control and Prevention • No vaccine is available Risk can be reduced by: • Not grazing animals on poor quality, spiny bushes and coarse fodders • Early recognition and prompt treatment • Isolation of diseases animals from healthy ones, as more transmission of organisms can occur from discharging wounds • Proper disposal of dead animals with disease Thank You!
