A Case Study of Malignant Edema in Postpartum Mediterranean Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

Authors

  • L. D'Angelo Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via Delle Calabrie 27, Salerno, Italy
  • A. Martucciello Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via Delle Calabrie 27, Salerno, Italy
  • C. Marianelli Unit of Emerging Zoonoses, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
  • C. Grassi Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via Delle Calabrie 27, Salerno, Italy
  • L. Schiavo Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via Delle Calabrie 27, Salerno, Italy
  • F. Armas Unit of Emerging Zoonoses, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
  • D. Alfano Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via Delle Calabrie 27, Salerno, Italy
  • D. Vecchio Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via Delle Calabrie 27, Salerno, Italy
  • E. De Carlo Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, National Reference Centre for Hygiene and Technologies of Water Buffalo Farming and Productions, Via Delle Calabrie 27, Salerno, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1927-520X.2020.09.01

Keywords:

Antibiogram, buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), Clostridium septicum, malignant edema.

Abstract

The paper describes for the first time four cases of postparturient malignant edema in water buffaloes due to Clostridium septicum (Cl. septicum). The study was carried out on four primiparous buffaloes that showed swelling of perineal and perivulvar areas, fever and agalactia a few hours after calving. Two of them died within 20 hours after calving. The other two developed edema in the skeletal muscles of one leg and were treated with sulfadiazine-trimethoprim for 10 days. The clinical signs completely resolved. Culture and molecular investigations identified the pathogen isolated from exudate taken from the vulva as Cl. septicum. The isolate showed multi-drug resistance. In the management of infection due to Cl. septicum, timely diagnosis and the chirurgic curettage, associated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, were found to be sufficient for the survival and recovery of the infected animals.

References

Odani JS, Blanchard PC, Adaska JM, Moeller RB, Uzal FA. Malignant edema in postpartum dairy cattle. J Vet Diagn Invest 2009; 21: 920-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870902100631

Wayt LK. Parturient malignant edema in a cow. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1951; 119: 353-4.

Hungerford TG. Clostridial Disease. In Hungerford's Diseases of Livestock. 9th Ed. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Sydney 1990; pp. 35-710.

Tweten RK. Clostridium perfrigens beta toxin and Clostridium septicum alpha-toxin: their mechanism and possible role in pathogenesis. Vet Microbiol 2001; 82: 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1135(01)00372-8

Kennedy CL, Krejany EO, Young LF, O'Connor JR, Awad MM, Boyd RL, et al. The α-toxin of Clostridium septicum is essential for virulence. Mol. Microbiol 2005; 57(5): 1357-1366. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04774.x

Hickey MH, Kwan RYQ, Awad MM, Kennedy CL, Young LF, Hall P, et al. Molecular and cellular basis of microvascular perfusion deficits induced by Clostridium perfrigens and Clostridium septicum. PLoS Pathog 2008; 4(4): e1000045. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000045

Quinn PJ, Carter ME, Markey B, Carter GR. Antimicrobial Agents. In Clinical Veterinary Microbiology. Mosby-Year Book Europe Limited, London, 1994; pp. 95-208.

Bauer AW, Kirby WM, Sherris JC, Turck M. Antibiotic susceptibility testing by a standardized single disk method. Am J Clin Pathol 1966; 45(4): 493-96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/45.4_ts.493

Sasaki Y, Yamamoto K, Kojima A, Norimatsu M, Tamura Y. Rapid identification and differentiation of pathogenic clostridia in gas gangrene by polymerase chain reaction based on the 16S-23S rDNA spacer region. Res Vet Sci 2000; 69: 289-94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1053/rvsc.2000.0431

Gabay EL, Rolfe RD, Finegold SM. Susceptibility of Clostridium septicum to 23 antimicrobial agents. Antimicrob. Agents Ch 1981; 20(6): 852-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.20.6.852

Downloads

Published

2020-01-02

How to Cite

D’Angelo, L., Martucciello, A., Marianelli, C., Grassi, C., Schiavo, L., Armas, F., Alfano, D., Vecchio, D., & Carlo, E. D. (2020). A Case Study of Malignant Edema in Postpartum Mediterranean Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Journal of Buffalo Science, 9, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.6000/1927-520X.2020.09.01

Issue

Section

Articles