Bacillary Hemoglobinuria (Red Water Disease)

Bacillary Haemoglobin (Red Water Disease)
Bacillary Haemoglobin is an acute, infectious, toxemic disease caused by Clostridium haemolyticum. It affects primarily cattle but has also been found in sheep and rarely in dogs. Clostridium haemolyticum it provides hemolytic toxins (lysis of blood). These are spore forming Bacteria. This is G+ve and anaerobic bacteria. It is found in liver of infected animal. Whenever animal ingest organism it is lodged in liver. Association of this disease is with poorly drained pasture or more irrigated pasture because of presence of liver fluke or snail in summer and autumn.
Pathogenesis of Bacillary Haemoglobin;

1.      Organism is ingested through contaminated fee.

2.      It enters into animal body and lodges in liver.

3.      It may occur due to Liver fluke invasion which infect area due to necrosis of liver tissue or portal vein and thrombus formation occurs.

4.      It may also cause due to Fuse bacterium necrobacillosis or due to cysticercus infection

5.      These all things make anaerobic environment which favourable site for bacterial growth.

6.      These infected areas are site for proliferation of Clostridium.

7.      These bacteria produce Hemolytic toxins and go into blood which cause systemic toxemia and also cause vascular damage.

Clinical Signs of Red water in cows and Sheep:

·         Fever ( 106 F)but in terminal stages sub normal temp

·         Off feed

·         Anorexia

·         Weak and anaemic animal

·         Jaundice

·         Abortion can occur

·         Blood in urine (Hemoglobinuria)

·         Dark red colour urine.

Differential Diagnosis

1.      Hematuria:

·         Intact blood in urine

·         This condition develops in kidney infection or in trauma of urogenital tract.

·         In this case RBCs will settle down at bottom.

2.      Post parturient Haemoglobin urea:

·         Lysed blood in this case.

·         No toxemia occurs

·         It is caused by deficiency of phosphorus.

·         Oxidant are more in amount in feed

·         Fever not occur

·         Non responsive to Antibiotic.

·         Urine colour Chocolate in this case.

·         If phosphorus deficiency then wall of RBC will become fragile as phosphorus is require for the formation of cell wall. When it break down the RBC will be lysed and come to urine

3.      Theiler's disease and Babesia:

·         Lysed blood

·         Parasite present in blood smears when staining with Giemsa stain.

·         Dark yellow colour

·         When parasites are present in RBC smear then animal suffer with fever and when RBCs burst fever fall down. So intermittent fever occurs and they are not treated with Antibiotics.

·         Animal will not respond to Antibiotic.

Treatment of Bacillary Hemoglobinuria;

1)      1st specific and immediate treatment:

·         Antitoxic serum

·         Penicillin 20000-40000 I U/kg

·         Tetracycline 6-10 m g/kg

·         This upper Rx use in Large animal

·         By this Rx Hemoglobinuria disappear within 12hrs.

2)      Supportive Rx:

·         Blood Transfusion

·         Fluid therapy

·         Haemopiotic drugs (Fe or Cu)

·         Liver Tonic (Hepamer)

Control:

·         Vaccination done at 4-6 week before expected season

·         Pasture management.

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