Bacterial diseases are diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria which invade and multiply within the animal’s body. Some of these bacterial diseases are very serious and can spread from animals to man.
Some harmful bacteria also produce toxins which can be very injurious to the health of both animals and man. However, not all bacteria are harmful as some inhabit the body of animals normally and these are said to be non-pathogenic.
Anthrax Disease in Livestock
Anthrax, also known as Splenic fever, is a rapid and highly fatal infectious disease of cattle, sheep, goats, and horses caused by aerobic gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria. The spores can remain in the soil for long periods of over 30 years and become active when conditions are favourable. This disease affects most mammals including humans.
Ruminants ingest the bacteria or the spores during grazing or through open wounds in the mouth. Biting insects can also transfer the disease from one animal to another. Symptoms include high fever, sudden staggering, hard breathing, severe bloody diarrhea, bloody nasal discharge, and death within a few hours.
Prevention of Anthrax is through annual vaccination in endemic areas. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease and because of its highly fatal nature, postmortem is not recommended. Carcasses of animals suspected to have died from Anthrax should be burnt in an enclosed area or buried at a depth of six feet and covered with quicklime.
Treatment is not recommended; however, large doses of serum against Anthrax should be quickly given, followed by high doses of antibiotics of choice such as Penicillin or Erythromycin.
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Brucellosis Disease Causing Economic Losses
This disease, also called Bang’s disease or Contagious abortion, usually results in heavy economic losses. This disease in cattle and man is caused by the bacteria Brucella abortus, in goats and ruminants, Brucella melitensis, in sheep, Brucella ovis, in pigs, Brucella suis, and in dogs, Brucella canis.
The disease is spread by bringing an infected animal into a herd, contact with aborted fetuses, contact with contaminated feed or water, or sniffing or licking of aborted fetuses or calves from infected cows.
Symptoms include abortion in the last three months of pregnancy, retained placenta, weak or dead calves at birth, and inflammation of the knee (hygroma).
This disease can cause sterility in bulls and cows. There is no treatment for this disease, and prevention is advocated through good herd management. This is also a zoonotic disease.
Bovine Tuberculosis Disease in Farm Animals
This is a major zoonotic disease that can be transmitted to man. It is an infectious, contagious, highly debilitating disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis and sometimes Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Symptoms include frequent coughing and emaciation. The disease is mostly detected at slaughter during meat inspection. This disease is not treated in affected animals but eliminated, and all materials in contact with the affected animal must be disinfected.
Blackquarter Disease Affecting Cattle and Sheep
This disease is an infectious disease of mostly cattle and sheep characterized by emphysematous swelling in heavy muscles caused by anaerobic spore-forming bacteria known as Clostridium chauvoei.
The bacterial spores commonly enter the body through the mouth and wounds. The signs include lameness, swollen muscles, severe depression, and high fever in the early stages, and the affected animals may be unable to stand. One or more animals in the herd may die suddenly.
This disease commonly affects calves. Treatment is achieved with massive doses of antibiotics and this can be effective provided diagnosis is done in the early stages of the disease. Prevention is mainly through vaccination and proper disposal of dead animals by burning or burial.
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Foot Rot Disease in Ruminants
This is an infectious disease of ruminants caused mostly by the bacteria Dichelobacter nodosus (Fusobacterium necrophorum), resulting in lameness, elevated temperature, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Injury to the interdigital skin provides a source of entry for the infection.
The condition can be complicated by other opportunistic microorganisms like fungi found in manure-filled and muddy areas where ruminants are kept, especially in feedlots. Prevention of this disease can be achieved by good sanitation and good drainage of the area where animals are kept.
Efforts should be made to ensure that manure does not accumulate around drinking and feeding points. Treatment of foot rot is achieved by the use of antibiotics like Penicillin and Sulfa drugs.
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia and Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a severe and highly infectious disease of cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides, while Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is an acute highly contagious disease of goats caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri.
These two diseases are characterized by fever and affect the lungs. In cattle, CBPP signs include coughing, open-mouthed breathing, loss of appetite, rumination disorders, and weakness. Prevention of CBPP is done through vaccination and systematic slaughter of infected and carrier animals following serological tests.
This condition can, however, be confused with bovine tuberculosis in cattle. Goats affected by CCPP show labored breathing and may even bleat or grunt due to pain. Prevention is by vaccination, and the use of antibiotics like Tylosin has been shown to be effective for goats.
Dermatophilosis (Kirchi) Disease Affecting Ruminants
Dermatophilosis, also known as “Kirchi” in Nigeria, is a contagious infectious skin disease of ruminants, especially cattle. This skin condition, which also affects horses and humans, is caused by the bacteria Dermatophilus congolensis.
It is characterized by crusted plaques on the skin of the affected animals. There is weight loss in affected animals and a drop in milk yield (if they are lactating). The condition is more common during the rainy season.
Predisposing conditions include injury to the skin and the presence of ticks and biting flies. The condition is treated with the use of appropriate antibiotics.
Other Common Bacterial Diseases in Ruminants
There are several other bacterial diseases that affect ruminants. These include Mastitis, Salmonellosis, Tetanus, Botulism, Pasteurellosis, and Haemorrhagic septicaemia among others. The list of these diseases is not exhaustive.
In this article, some bacterial diseases that affect ruminants and consequently affect their productivity have been discussed. It has also been shown that some of these diseases can be transferred from animals to man (zoonotic). Preventive and/or control measures for these diseases have also been mentioned.
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