CLINICAL SIGNS AND TREATMENT
The first indication of anthrax is finding dead animals. Herbivores such as cattle, sheep, goats and most wild ruminants mainly manifest peracute and acute clinical signs. The course of the peracute clinical disease is usually less than 2 hours and the acute form less than 72 hours.
The majority of animals are found dead without havingid="Picutre 65" class="lazyload" data-src="/files/uch_group75/uch_pgroup311/uch_uch7297/image/image065.jpg">
FIGURE 25.2 Anthrax in red deer. In nature herbivores are particularly susceptible to anthrax infection, and omnivores and carnivores are moderately resistant but still succumb. Among herbivores, in addition to domestic species such as donkeys and mules, wild species are also susceptible — in particular wild ruminants such as deer. Rarely in nature are carcasses of dead animals left undisturbed by scavengers.
shown signs of illness. Terminally these animals usually show opisthotonos, with the forelegs rigidly extended. Blood-stained fluid sometimes exudes from the nostrils, mouth and anus (Figure 25.2) but is less common than many texts suggest, both in volume and frequency. Equids suffer from the acute form, with oedematous swelling of the body and sometimes colic. Typically, animals that have died of anthrax do not demonstrate rigor mortis.
Carnivores, suids and poorly immunized animals usually show subacute to chronic signs, which may extend for more than 3 days before recovery or death. The most frequent signs are oedematous swelling of the face, throat, neck and/or ventral parts of the body. The infection may remain localized or it may progress to a septicaemia, which is usually fatal.
In most herbivores anthrax has so rapid a course that it is not always possible to implement successful treatment. Exposed livestock possibly incubating disease may be treated with long- acting antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline, followed by vaccination with Sterne vaccine 7—10 days later.