Background

Hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) is a significant disease in many parts of the world, mostly in tropical countries. HS is an acute septicemic fatal disease of buffalo and cattle caused by two serotypes of Gram-negative, coccobacillus, non-motile bacterium named as Pasteurella multocida. The two serotypes are designated as B:2 and E:2. The letter designates capsular antigen, and the number denotes somatic or O antigens. The B:2 serotype is reported in Asia, while E:2 type recorded in Africa. In cattle, fatal HS caused by P. multocida is locally known as septicemia epizootica. HS also infects camels, yaks, rhinoceros, and water buffalo in different countries. The clinical symptoms of the disease are high body temperature (40-42°C), nasal discharge, respiratory distress, tongue protrusion, salivation, and reluctance to move, swelling and edema on the throat, brisket or occasionally forelegs. Animals having poor body health fatigued or under stress are more susceptible to the disease. Among animals, buffaloes are more vulnerable than cattle. The outbreak of the HS has fatality rates above 80%. In India, HS is responsible for the high mortality of buffaloes and cattle and cause substantial economic loss. The diagnosis of the organism is performed by serotyping, biotyping, and molecular techniques like species-specific PCR. The disease is associated with humid, wet weather and occurs more during wet seasons. However, epidemiological studies have shown that outbreaks can occur all the time, but those occurring in the wet season can spread. The organism can survive longer under a moist condition, so spread more by direct or indirect contact. The organism cannot survive for more than 2-3 weeks in soil. There is no proof that arthropods can transfer the disease by biting the healthy organism. Several formulations of vaccines are commercially available like alum-precipitated, oil adjuvant, and multiple emulsion. The disease can be prevented if the animals are given a vaccine containing P. multocida before the rainy season.

Cause

Pasteurella multocida type 1 or B

Host Species

Cattle, water buffalo, camels, yaks and to smaller extent, pigs

• Outbreaks of the disease are often associated with wet humid weather during the rainy season.
• It causes heavy death losses, particularly in low-lying areas and when the animals are exposed to wet, chilly weather or exhausted by heavy work.
• Animals of all ages are susceptible but the most susceptible age group is 6 months to 2 years of age.
• In the early stages of the disease, the saliva of affected animals contains large numbers of Pasteurella organism.
• The disease is spread through the ingestion of foodstuffs contaminated with saliva of infected animals.
• Sometimes, the ticks and biting insects spread the infection from clinically normal carriers or clinically infected animals to healthy animals.

• Sudden high rise of temperature (41-42°C, 106-107°F)
• Profuse salivation
• Submucosal petechiation
• Severe depression
• Localization of infection in subcutaneous tissue leads to development of warm, painful swellings about the throat, dewlap, brisket or perineum.
• Dyspnea occurs if the respiration is obstructed.
• Sometimes, animals develop signs of pulmonary or alimentary involvement.
• The disease in pigs is identical with that in cattle.
• Death in about 24 hours
• Sometimes, animals may be found dead without any clinical signs

Management

• Therapeutic management is based on alleviation of symptoms and use of appropriate antibiotics as recommended by the vterinarian.
• Broad spectrum antibiotics to check secondary bacterial invasion, preferably oxytetracycline has been shown to be highly effective in pigs and sulfadimidine and ceftiofur in cattle.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are used to alleviate fever and pain.

Preventive measures

• Isolation of infected animals from healthy animals
• Improvement of bio-security:
• Restriction of movement of animal health personnel or attendants from infected area to healthy animals sheds
• Immediate vaccination of healthy and exposed animals with inactivated HS vaccine

Control

Regular vaccination is the only effective way to control the disease

Type of vaccines

Inactivated vaccine (Aluminum hydroxide gel or oil adjuvant)

Combined vaccine is also available

Vaccination schedule

First vaccination is done above 2 year of age in cattle, abobe 3 months of age in sheep and goats followed by booster after 6 months and to be repeated annually interval

Dose

5 mL S/C route in cattle with less than 273 kg body weight and 10 ml above 273 kg body weight or according to manufacturer's instructions:

Note: Deworming is must at least 15 days before vaccination

Source/manufacturer of vaccine in India

• Bio Vet. Pvt. Ltd., Karnataka
• Indian Immunologicals, Hyderabad
• Brilliant Bio Pharma Ltd., Hyderabad
• State Veterinary Vaccine Institutes