Study of bovine enterotoxaemia in Belgium. 2. Epizootiology, clinical signs and pathology

• Published in: Annales de médecine vétérinaire Vol. 145; no. 2
• Main Authors: Manteca, C, Daube, G, Jauniaux, T, Kaeckenbeeck, A, Mainil, J.G. (Universite de Liege, Sart Tilman (Belgium). Faculte de medecine veterinaire), Limbourg, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: 01.03.2000
• Subjects: AETIOLOGY; ALLAITEMENT; ANIMAL TISSUES; BELGICA; BELGIQUE; BELGIUM; CALVES; ENFERMEDADES INTESTINALES; ENTEROTOXINAS; ENTEROTOXINE; ENTEROTOXINS; ENVENENAMIENTO; ETIOLOGIA; ETIOLOGIE; INTESTINAL DISEASES; INTOXICATION; LACTANCIA; MALADIE INTESTINALE; MICROSCOPIA; MICROSCOPIE; MICROSCOPY; PATHOLOGIE; PATHOLOGY; PATOLOGIA; POISONING; SINTOMAS; SUCKLING; SYMPTOME; SYMPTOMS; TEJIDOS ANIMALES; TERNERO; TISSU ANIMAL; VEAU
• ISSN: 0003-4118

Bovine enterotoxaemia is an ill-defined clinical syndrom with various descriptions in the existing literature. This study describes 78 cases of so-called "bovine enterotoxaemia" in Belgian Blue cattle, in an attempt to better define the clinical signs and the lesions at necropsy. Most of the calves were suckling beef calves from 2 to 4 months of age. The environmental circumstances of occurrence of the disease were studied and better defined. The clinical signs were a sudden death with no other sign or colics sometimes followed by nervous disorders. However even in the latter cases the death was very rapid. The lesions were a necro-haemorrhagic enteritis of the jejuno-ileum and sometimes of the colon. Other organs looked macroscopically healthy. These cases of "bovine enterotoxaemia" of Belgian Blue cattle differ from most descriptions present in the literature, emphasizing the possible importance of the cattle breed. The identification of the infectious aetiological agent, if any, will be the subject of further studies.