On other occasions, the specific cause of the disease is not known despite finding acute, generalized signs of disease. Cows with active, generalized signs of disease involving more than one organ will be condemned for food safety reasons even though no specific cause of the disease is determined. The inspector might call the condition septicemia, toxemia or pyemia. Septicemia is the invasion of the blood stream by microorganisms, like bacteria, spreading from a focal infection site. Septicemia is of ten referred to as blood poisoning.
Toxemia means the presence of toxic substances in the blood stream.
Toxemia is often the result of bacterial toxins being shed into the blood from a focal infection site. And pyemia is a form of septicemia with multipl e abscesses and secondary signs of toxemia. In most cases, toxemia is the result from growth of pus-forming bacteria. The key point is that in each case, the disease has spread beyond local lesions to other parts of the body. In some cases it is possible to get a hint that a generalized disease is present by an examination of the cow prior to slaughter.