PNEUMONIA OF
CALVES
Definition
• it is multifactorial respiratory disease of
calves caused by different types of virus
and characterized by variable degree of
severity of pneumonia.
Etiology:
• virus agents:
• respiratory
syncytial virus, parainfluenza 3,
Rhinovirus, Adenovirus, BVDv and Herpes virus.
Reovirus,
• Bacterial agents. Pneumonia of calve may be complicated with
secondary bacterial infections such as Chlamydia sp,
Mycoplasma sp, Mannheimia haemolytica, Streptococcus
pneumonia, Corynebacteria bovis and E.coli
• Environmental factors:
• The
disease is often associated with low environmental
temperatures and a high humidity It is thought that the cold may
allow infection to flare up partly by affecting the respiratory
defence. Housing of calves in close pox help in transfer of
infection.
Epidemiology:
• Distribution: widely spread and present in
Egypt.
• Animal susceptibility: The disease is most
common in young calve of 2-5 M of age and
young cattle.
• Seasonal incidence: winter months with bad
management in calve housing.
• Mode of transmission:
• The source of infection is nasal discharge of
clinical infected animal and the infection can be
transmitted through inhalation of aerosol
infection.
Clinical signs
• IP is varies and morbidity rate reach 100% while the
mortality rate is less than 30%.
• Acute form:
• Several animals will usually become sick within the
next 24–48 hours. There is normally a reduction in
feed intake of the group and widespread coughing
will be apparent.
• a mucoid or mucopurulent oculo-nasal discharge,
tachypnoea (respirations are usually over 40 per
minute), dyspnoea and hyperpnoea are normally
present
• Chronic form:
• The condition is one of gradual onset. It
may have a slight mucoid or mucopurulent
oculonasal discharge. The temperature is
normal or slightly raised at 38.5–39.5 C.
There is a dry, explosive cough that is
usually produced singely.
Postmortem lesions:
• There is localized consolidation particularly
of the cranial lobes of lung and the tissue is
dark red, friable and there is no gross
evidence of necrosis.
• The lesion present after bacteria infection
are differ according to type of bacteria as
pasteurella sp. and mycoplasma sp cause
extensive heptaization with mottled and red
and gray lobules and fibrinous pleurisy.
Diagnosis
• field diagnosis: based on history and
epidemiology of disease, signs of
pneumonia and postmortem lesions.
• Laboratory diagnosis:
• virus isolation on cell cultures.
• serological examination: ELISA, FAT, SNT
and HI tests.
• Histopathological findings.
Treatment:
• Several antibiotics are of use, including tylosin at
4–10mg/kg body weight, spiramycin at a dose of
20mg/kg body weight
• Expectorants. One drug used at present as a
spasmolytic is bromhexine hydrochloride, which
can be given orally or by intramuscular injection
at a dose of about 0.5 mg/kg body weight for five
to seven days.
• Corticosteroids. The drugs commonly in use
today include dexamethasone, prednisolone.
Control:
Early detection and diagnosis of the disease and
isolation of infected one. Suspected cases should be
isolated and received symptomatic treatment
• Proper management
• Vaccination
• Combined inactivated respiratory virus vaccines
(pneumo 3 and pneumo 4)
• The pneumo 3 vaccine contains BVD, IBR, PI-3.
The pneumo 4 vaccine contains BVD, IBR, PI-3,
and adenovirus. They are used I/M injection in 2
doses 5 ml/calf for each with 2 week apart
• Cattle Master 4 vaccine (IBR, BVD, PI-3 and RSV)
I/M injection of 2 ml in 2 doses with 2-4 weeks apart
• .