Atypical actinobacillosis in bulls in Argentina: granulomatous dermatitis and lymphadenitis

Abstract

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 33(1):1-4, janeiro 2013 1 RESUMO.-[Actinobacilose atípica em touros na Argentina: dermatite granulomatosa e linfadenite.] A actinobacilose é causa comum de infecções esporádicas em bovinos. Esta afeção tem sido caracterizada como uma infecção piogranulomatosa não somente da língua como também de tecidos moles tais como linfonodos, ou outras localizações no trato digestivo e na pele. O objetivo do presente trabalho é descrever um episódio de dermatite piogranulomatosa e linfadenite que afetou um rebanho de touros na Argentina em 2010. As amostras recolhidas de um dos animais afetados permitiram o isolamento de Actinobacillus lignieresii. Observaram-se as lesões características da doença. Habitualmente não são comuns outras lesões para além das descritas como "língua de pau", no entanto, a actinobacilose deve ser incluída como um possível diagnóstico diferencial de doenças cutâneas. TERMOS DE INDEXAÇÃO: Actinobacilose, dermatite, linfadenite, bovinos.

Atypical actinobacillosis affecting hind limbs and lungs in a single beef cattle herd

“…Actinobacillosis usually is considered a sporadic condition, typically involving the tongue in cattle (“wooden tongue”) . Lymphadenitis and granulomatous skin lesions involving other tissues (oral cavity, fore‐stomachs, skin of the head, neck and occasionally limbs) also have been reported, sometimes with several animals concomitantly affected in a single herd . In our report, 2 animals from a single herd had nodular dermatitis affecting the hind limbs with associated swelling, enlarged regional lymph nodes, pneumonia, and weight loss.…”

“…However, their occurrence could not be excluded because the cows had been treated with ivermectin and fenvalerate before referral. The difficulty that cows have licking their forelimbs could explain why, although forelimbs may have had wounds, only hindquarters were affected, as previously reported …”

“…Identification of A. lignieresii from chronic lesions may be difficult, especially after antibiotic treatment . Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens thus usually is helpful for diagnosis.…”

Multifocal suppurative granuloma caused by <i>Actinobacillus lignieresii</i> in the peritoneum of a beef steer

“…However, the infection may not be limited to the oral cavity and tongue, and can spread to the adjacent soft tissues of the mouth and regional lymph nodes [ 8 ]. Granulomatous lesions in the skin (cutaneous form), lymph nodes [ 5 ], head, flank, wall of the stomach and limbs [ 2 ] have been reported in cases of A. lignieresii infection. Atypical Actinobacillus granulomas have been identified in the nasal cavity, cervical area and the lungs in cattle [ 7 ].…”

“…However, atypical actinobacillosis is also common. Atypical distribution of granulomatous lesions with A. lignieresii has been reported in cutaneous tissues [ 2 , 5 , 6 ], rhinopharynx [ 1 ] and omentum [ 9 ] of cattle. In the case reported here, tuberculosis, nocardiosis and actinomycosis were also suspected for a differential diagnosis, however, immunohistochemical analysis and isolation, identification and genetic sequencing of isolate denied these diseases and confirmed the diagnosis of A. lignieresii infection.…”