ISRAEL JOURNAL OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE
Vol. 58 (2-3)
2003
IATROGENIC SPINAL CORD INFECTION IN
LAMBS DUE
TO ENTEROTOXYMIA VACCINATION
Perl, S1., Yeruham, I2., Lahav, D1. and U. Orgad1
1. Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
2. "Hachaklait"; Gedera and Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Abstract
Of 400 diarrhoeic faecal samples collected from 170 cattle, 150 sheep and 80
pigs in Ibadan, Nigeria, clostridial species were isolated from 37 samples. C.
perfringens was the dominant species and the toxin types were A, B, C.and D. C.
perfringens type B occurred only in sheep. Of 21 C. perfringens type A isolates
recovered, 14 (66.6%) were enterotoxigenic.
Introduction
Spinal cord pathologies in ruminants can be caused by metabolic disorders, toxic,
parasitic or traumatic agents (1-9).
Iatrogenic spinal cord infections seem to be a very rare event. In the present
communication we describe injury of the cervical or thoracic spinal cord possibly
associated with enterotoxemia vaccination in lambs.
Case history
Iatrogenic damage to the cervical muscles and cervical or thoracic spinal cord
due to enterotoxemia vaccination occurred in two sheep flocks in 1997 and 2000.
In 1997, 55 lambs 3-4 weeks old, from a flock of 430 lambs were unable to stand
and were limping or moving on their knees and 13 died . The onset of the clinical
symptoms appeared 10-15 days post-vaccination.
The same history was repeated in 2000 on another flock of 385 lambs of which
23 showed similar clinical symptoms at the same time interval post-vaccination
and 8 died. (Table 1).
Table 1: The incidence of morbidity and mortality in the two flocks of lambs
Flock
Age
No. of vaccinated animals
Morbidity (%)
Mortality (%)
Flock A
3-4 weeks
430
42 (9.8%)
13 (3.0%)
Flock B
3-4 weeks
385
15 (3.8%)
8 (2.0%)
Fig. 1.
Pathological findings
A iatrogenic abscess at the level of the first and second thoracic
On post-mortem examination of the thoracic
and abdominal viscera and brain, no pathological
findings were present. Significant findings were
found in the neck, where extensive lesions of
muscle necrosis were observed. Abscesses in the
subserosal areas of the level of thoracic vertebrae
1-2 involving the intervertebral disc were seen
(Fig. 1). Upon opening the cervical spinal canal,
subdural abscesses or granulomas were found
protruding into the spinal canal and into the
spinal cord (Fig. 2).
On histopathological examination of the
affected muscles, degeneration and necrosis of
muscle fibers were present. Cross sections of the
spinal cord showed granulomatous lesions (Fig.
3), acute to subacute meningomyelitis
characterized by destruction of the normal
architecture of the spinal cord and infiltration
with a large number of inflammatory cells,
predominantly neutrophils and histiocytes.
Fig. 2. Subdural abscess or granuloma of the spinal cord involving spinal nerves
Discussion
According
Fig. 3. Granulomatous lesion in the subdural area involving a
to
the
manufacturer’s
instructions, administration of the
vaccine should be performed strictly
subcutaneous. In our case, the vaccine
was probably injected deep into the
cervical muscles reaching occasionally
the cervical vertebrae where it caused the
lesions described above.
nerve. HEx5.
Paraparesis or paraplegy without
additional brain symptoms are typical of
thoracic and lumbar spinal cord lesions
(9). As differential diagnosis white
muscle disease and polyneuropathy
should be considered.
Careful and proper vaccination of
young lambs should be done to prevent
the occurrence of the described lesions.
LINKS TO OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
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