The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1918-03-05
COUNTY LIVE STOCK INSPECTOR
DESCRIBES NEW CATTLE
DISEASE.

. COUNTY LIVE STOCK INSPECTOR
DESCRIBES NEW CATTLE
DISEASE.
/ Hemmorrhagic Septicemia, an out
break of which occurred in herd
of cattle belonging to Mr.. j. L.
/ Dodge, near Paris, is an infectious
disease affecting cattle, sheep, hogs
and in fact most all domestic animals,
and is caused by a specific germ, call
ed Bacileus Boviseptus, generally Oc-
curing enzootic but occasionally in
epizootic form.
This disease occurs in many diff
ferent forms. A form such as oc-
Cured in the above herd is common
| ly called ''Mad Itch; other forms
show different symptoms such as
staggering gait, apparent loss OF
vision, commissions and death; some
have bowel affections causing severe
diarrhea; some show pneumonia or
lung affections and many other
symptoms due to the severe toxemia
of the system. All usually result in
death, especially the above mention
ed forms of the disease.
This disease is very prevalent in
the western states and has occurred
in Kentucky in enzootic outbreaks
in many herds, but in good many in
stances has been diagnosed Hemor-
rhagic Septicemia, but generally
thought to be Forage Poisoning, due
to animals eating spoiled or mould
ed corn, causing symptoms of Cere-
bral-Spinal Meningitis.
1t is a very difficult disease to
diagnose except upon post norton
examination of animals dead of the
disease, and this verified by labora-
tory examination of sections of in
ternal organs. Whereas the Bacil-
lus in many instances can be found
under the microscope. If the micro
scopic examination fails to isolate
the organism, direct innoculation Of
a. rabbit with spleen of dead the
animal will establish definite dag
inosis. @
The mortality of Hemorrhagic
Septicemia is very high, that is
animals affected usually die of the
most severe forms, vaccination will
save small per cent of sick animals,
but the best results are to be obtained
from vaccinating all exposed animals
before the disease develops. Out
breaks can, as rule, be almost i'm
imediately checked or stopped by
vaccination, which at present, is the
Ionly known preventative.
Animals sick of this disease should
be isolated and the exposed herd,
and premises, quarantined and all
other animals on the farm kept sepa-
rate and away from affected herd.
Carcasses of animals, dead of this
disease, should be burned or buried
and covered with lime, hides can be
} saved, provided they are dipped in a
standard disinfectant solution. One
handling carcasses and hides should
be every careful and thoroughly dis
infect hands afterwards.
Practically all noted investigators
of the United States have agreed
that the commonly called forage
poisoning and conditions supposed to
result from eating spoiled or mouldy
corn of cattle is nothing more than
'Hemorrhagic Septicemia. This is more
or less proven from the fact that
practically all outbreaks of above
mentioned diseases are controlled and
ieradicated by vaccination with
Hemorrhagic Septicemia Vaccine.
Mr.. Dodge had lost ten steers of
herd of fifty-six and one was sick
at the time of vaccination. Follow
ing the vaccination, the one sick
died, and two others developed the
d disease and died, one of these showed
much milder symptoms and lived
several hours longer than previous
cases. Two others also developed a
mild form of the disease and recover
ed, thus showing the beneficial effect
of the vaccine.
The above herd was vaccinated
again on the eighth day to insure the
animals immunity for longer period
of time and to guard against reoc-
currance of the disease
This herd was placed on different
pasture and feed was changed fol-
"a few days, but were put back on
same feed again, also Mr.. Dodge had
a herd feeding of twenty-eight head
! of steers, some distance from the
diseased herd, and had been, and are
lyet, eating the same feed the diseased
herd was feeding on when they were
taken sick, and none of that hero
has ever been sick. This also goes
to show that the feed is not a factor
in the cause of said disease.
The disease in the herd of cattle
belonging to Mr.. Dodge was dag
ffosed by me from post norton ex
animation on a dead steer. Sector
of internal organs were sent from
this steer by me to the Kentucky
Agricultural Experiment Station, a
Lexington, and my diagnosis wa.
verified by them by microscopic ex
animation in laboratory as Hemor
rhagic Septicemia
H. M. HAMILTON,
Live Stock Inspector for Bourbon