Actinobacillosis

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Actinobacillosis
Specialty Infectious disease

Actinobacillosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Actinobacillus. [1] It is more commonly associated with animals than with humans. [2]

Contents

One of the most common forms seen by veterinarians is mouth actinobacillosis of cattle, due to Actinobacillus lignieresii. The most prominent symptom is the swelling of the tongue that protrudes from the mouth and is very hard at palpation ("wooden tongue").

Actinobacillus suis is an important disease of pigs of all ages and can lead to severe morbidity and sudden death. [3]

Causes

The infection is most commonly caused by abrasions on different soft tissues through which the bacteria, Actinobacillus lignieresii, enters. These soft tissues include subcutaneous tissues, the tongue, lymph nodes, lungs, and various tissues in the gastrointestinal tract. The injury results in different forms and locations of the disease depending on the location of the tissue. The commensal bacteria is also commonly found in the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive tract, sometimes resulting in disease. [4] There are generally one or two cases of actinobacillosis per herd found in adult cows, foals or adult horses, and other similar animals. [5] [6]

Differential diagnosis

Mouth actinobacillosis of cattle must be differentiated from actinomycosis that affects bone tissues of the maxilla.

Treatment

When only the mouth is involved, actinobacillosis in cattle and other ruminants can frequently be treated with intravenous administration of sodium iodide. In more severe cases, or instances in which the animal either does not respond to sodium iodide or begins to develop signs of toxicity to it, antibiotics may be used instead. Surgical debridement or debulking of affected tissues may be required if the airway becomes obstructed. Antibiotics are the primary course of treatment for pigs and horses affected by the disease. [7]

See also

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<i>Actinobacillus suis</i>

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<i>Actinomyces bovis</i> Species of bacterium

Actinomyces bovis is a branching, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Actinomyces. It is the causative agent of lumpy jaw in cattle, and occasionally causes actinomycosis infections in humans. A. bovis normally populates the gastrointestinal tract of healthy ruminants, but is opportunistic in nature and will move into tissues through ulcerations or abrasions of the mucosa to cause infection. The disease occurs when there is physical damage to the tissue of the mouth, allowing the bacteria to colonize the deep tissue and bone, typically affecting the mandible and maxilla. Actinomycosis is pathognomonic for abscesses containing "sulfur" granules, and its colonies appear basophilic with club-shaped reaction products on a histological preparation. Lumpy jaw is commonly treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics with varying success, and can be a major economic loss for producers in countries where it is endemic. Because this organism is zoonotic, it is a human health concern and can cause granulomas, abscesses, skin lesions, and bronchopneumonia.

Actinobacillus equuli is a gram-negative, non-motile rod bacteria from the family Pasteurellaceae.

References

  1. "Merck Veterinary Manual".
  2. "Dorlands Medical Dictionary:actinobacillosis".[ permanent dead link ]
  3. "Actinobacillosis - Pig reviewed and published by Wikivet" . Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  4. Layman, Quinci D.; Rezabek, Grant B.; Ramachandran, Akhilesh; Love, Brenda C.; Confer, Anthony W. (2014). "A Retrospective Study of Equine Actinobacillosis Cases 1999-2011". Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 26 (3): 365–375. doi: 10.1177/1040638714531766 . PMID   24742921.
  5. Boden, Edward (2015). Black's Veterinary Dictionary. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 10. ISBN   9781408181287 via EBL.
  6. Buttenschøn, J. (1989-02-12). "The Occurrence of Lesions in the Tongue of Adult Cattle and their Implications for the Development of Actinobacillosis". Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series A. 36 (1–10): 393–400. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0442.1989.tb00745.x. ISSN   1439-0442. PMID   2506716.
  7. "Merck Veterinary Manual - Actinobacillosis".