Acute phase response and clinical manifestation in outbreaks of interdigital phlegmon in dairy herds

• Published in: Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases microbiology and infectious diseases, 2020-02, Vol.68, p.101375-7, Article 101375
• Main Authors: Kontturi, Miia, Junni, Reijo, Kujala-Wirth, Minna, Malinen, Erja, Seuna, Eija, Pelkonen, Sinikka, Soveri, Timo, Simojoki, Heli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute phase response; Albumin; Bacterial diseases; Cellulitis; Economic impact; Epidemics; Farms; Foot rot; Foul-in-the-foot; Haptoglobin; Infectious hoof disease; Interdigital necrobacillosis; Interdigital phlegmon; Morbidity; Outbreaks; Serum amyloid A
• ISSN: 0147-9571; 1878-1667
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2019.101375

•The acute phase response of interdigital phlegmon (IP) was distinct.•The response was most apparent in herds of high morbidity in IP.•Combination of F. necrophorum and D. nodosus affects the severity of IP. Several Finnish dairy herds have suffered from outbreaks of interdigital phlegmon (IP). In these new types of outbreaks, morbidity was high and clinical signs severe, resulting in substantial economic losses for affected farms. In our study, we visited 18 free stall dairy herds experiencing an outbreak of IP and 3 control herds without a similar outbreak. From a total of 203 sampled cows, 60 suffered from acute stage IP. We demonstrated that acute phase response of bovine IP was evident and therefore an appropriate analgesic should be administered in the treatment of affected animals. The response was most apparent in herds with high morbidity in IP and with a bacterial infection comprising Fusobacterium necrophorum and Dichelobacter nodosus, indicating that combination of these two bacterial species affect the severity of the disease.