HUMPSORE OR STEPHANOFILARIASIS IN CATTLE
Livestock constitute an important part of the wealth of a country, since in addition to draft power and leather, it provides manure, meat and milk to the vast majority of the people . Humpsore or stephanofilariasis is one of the important diseases causes serious leather defect. The disease is prevalent and wide spread in India.Humpsore is prevalent almost in all seasons of the year but aggravated in the summer and rainy season due to high temperature and high humidity which favors tremendous growth of fly vectors (Baki, 1995). Stephanofilariasis infections in the skin, damage the hair follicles and skin glands and cause dermatitis. Severe infections can considerably stress affected animals. Humpsore can be particularly annoying for dairy cattle and in endemic regions it may considerably hamper manual or mechanical milking, and make it impossible to comply with hygienic measures for milking. Damaged hides can be downgraded and even rejected at slaughter (Junquera, 2015).
Stephanofilariasis is caused by nematodes of the genus Stephanofilaria, a chronic disease that occurs in dairy cattle, with prevalence in summer because it is transmitted by flies (Scott, 1988 and Taylor et al., 2004) which causes skin lesions characterized by alopecia and ulcerative nodular dermatitis in bovines, buffaloes and goats, if untreated may continue for years (Scott, 1988), which can cause myiasis. According to the literature, five species of Stephanofilaria have been described in bovines and also reported in a number of regions of the world. Haematobia irritans, Musca conducens, Musca planiceps and Musca autumnalis (Riviers; Aycardi, 1985) are the intermediate hosts, which feeds on skin lesions and ingest the microfilaria. Within two to three weeks it develops as third larval stage, an infective form being introduced by bite in the skin of the definitive host i.e., bovine (Hiber,1966). Stephanofilaria occupies the hair follicle and dermic papilla via the blood circulation, resulted in formation of areas of alopecia, papules and intense itching, giving rise to lesions which may reach a diameter of 25cm (Smith; Jones, 1962).
Stephanofilariasis is a parasitic disease caused by the nematode Stephanofi laria spp., considered a zoonotic disease, that affects several species, mainly dairy cattle. The condition causes chronic ulcerative dermatitis, due to the mechanical action of the parasite on the hair follicles and dermal papillae. The recommended diagnostic method is histopathological examination, but alternative methods have been studied for the detection of the agent since it does not demonstrate good results. There is no specific treatment, however, the use of organophosphates is recommended.
The infected animals are treated with Ivermectin injection @1 ml per 50 kg body weight subcutaneously once a week for 5 weeks. Streptpenicillin injection 5g intramuscularly daily for 7 days administered and Injection chlorphenarmine meleate was given @ 10 ml intramuscularly daily for 7 days.
HUMPSORE OR STEPHANOFILARIASIS IN CATTLE
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