Leptospirosis, Biology

Assignment Help:

Leptospirosis

It is zoonotic disease characterized by interstitial nephritis, haemolytic anaemia and abortions.

Etiology: The disease is caused by Leptospira interrogans. Severe form of disease occurs in calves and lambs whereas adults show less severe form. In dairy animals, abortion occurs in about 30% of affected animals.

Pathogenesis: The organisms reach liver from the intestinal tract and multiply there. The organisms produce haemolysin which causes intravascular haemolysis, haemoglobinuria, jaundice and escape of blood in to milk. Abortions occur in later stage of pregnancy when organisms enter into placenta.

Clinical signs: It occurs in acute, subacute or chronic form in dairy animals. In acute form, animals have fever, anorexia, acute haemolytic anaemia, haemoglo­binuria, jaundice, petechial haemorrhages on mucosae, dyspnoea, abortions and blood in milk.

The pregnant animals usually abort. In human beings, fever, haemoglobinuria, jaundice and pale mucous membranes are common symptoms.

Diagnosis: It is diagnosed by clinical symptoms and confirmed by isolation of organisms from blood, kidney, pleural fluid of aborted foetus, or urine. These materials can be inoculated to hamsters, which die within 2 days in positive cases. Serological tests like agglutination and fluorescent antibody tests can also be used for its confirmation. The disease is to be differentiated from nutritional haemoglobinuria (PPH). The later is associated with no rise in body temperature; milk is normal and is seen mostly 4-6 weeks before and after parturition. In bacillary haemoglobinuria, abortions are absent and milk is normal. Anaplasmosis does not reveal haemoglobinuria while animals have history of tick infestation. In babesiosis, milk is normal and animals have history of tick infestation like anaplasmosis. In chronic copper poisoning, body temperature and milk remain normal.

Treatment: The cases should be treated before there is damage of liver or kidney. For cows, 10-15 mg streptomycin can be given per kg body weight intramuscularly twice daily for 3-4 days. If organisms are present in urine, it is to be given in double doses. Tetracyclines @ 2-5 mg/kg body weight BID for 4 days are also effective. As supportive therapy, liver tonics and haematinics should be prescribed for early recovery. If animals are very anaemic, 6-8 liter of blood can be transfused to save life.

Control: Control of leptospirosis is difficult owing to involvement of wild animals and rodents in the disease transmission. Vaccines are available against this disease for dogs. But vaccine against cows or buffaloes or other farm animals is not available in India.


Related Discussions:- Leptospirosis

Plants and animals - biological weathering, Plants and animals The acti...

Plants and animals The activity of living organisms like lichens, fungi, bacteria, blue green algae, bryophytes is also responsible for weathering.  It is referred to as biolog

Echinococcosis (hydatidosis), Echinococcosis (hydatidosis) Echinococco...

Echinococcosis (hydatidosis) Echinococcosis, also called hydatidosis, is a global problem particularly in countries where sheep and cattle raising forms the major animal husba

Explain factors influencing food production, Explain Factors influencing fo...

Explain Factors influencing food production? Appropriate food production involves getting an adequate output (i.e. food) using appropriate inputs. An essential requisite for th

Explain about the net protein ratio (npr), Explain about the Net Protein Ra...

Explain about the Net Protein Ratio (NPR)? This method was introduced by Bender and Doell (1957) and is a modification of the PER method. In this method, an allowance is made f

Why cerebellum more developed in mammals that fly or jump, Q. Why is the ce...

Q. Why is the cerebellum more developed in mammals that fly or jump? The cerebellum is the main brain structure that coordinates the movement and the equilibrium of the body. F

Spiral cleavage - metazoa, Spiral Cleavage - Metazoa In Spiral Cleavag...

Spiral Cleavage - Metazoa In Spiral Cleavage, however, the third and fourth cleavage planes are oblique to the polar axis and the resulting blastomeres do not lie on top of on

Digestive system of animals, Q. Why is the digestive system of these animal...

Q. Why is the digestive system of these animals called incomplete? Incomplete digestive system is in that which the digestive cavity has only one opening.

Nutrition of embryo - in vivo studies, Nutrition of Embryo - In Vivo Studie...

Nutrition of Embryo - In Vivo Studies The young proembryo derives its nutrition from ovular tissues with the help of suspensor. As the embryo develops its suspensor degenerate

Syngamy - patterns of sexual reproduction, Syngamy - Patterns of Sexual Rep...

Syngamy - Patterns of Sexual Reproduction Sperm fuses with the egg. This results in both the union of the paternal nucleus with the maternal one (karyogamy), as well as the fu

Define reaction of fehling soxhlet method, Define Reaction of Fehling Soxhl...

Define Reaction of Fehling Soxhlet method? The reducing sugars formed are acted upon by the alkali of Fehling's solution to form enediols. These enediols are very unstable and

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd