Lymphangitis:

• Lymphangitis refers to inflammation of lymph vessels of animals.
• It is an infectious disease of cattle and horses characterized by formation of skin ulcers or lesion with involvement of lymph vessels of lower limbs.
• Bovine lymphangitis is also known as bovine farcy. Two forms of lymphangitis are common; ulcerative lymphangitis and epizootic lymphangitis

Epizootic Lymphangitis:

• It is a chronic and contagious disease of horses and other equids characterized clinically by spreading, suppurative, ulcerating pyogranulomatous dermatitis and lymphangitis.
• It is seen particularly in neck, legs and chest but can occur anywhere in body.
• It can also present as an ulcerating conjunctivitis, or more rarely, in a respiratory form with purulent nasal discharge, pyogranulomatous lesions around the nares with extension of involvement of the nasal lacrimal duct, and lower respiratory signs caused by multifocal pneumonia.

Etiology:

• Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum
• It is thermally dimorphic, fungal soil saprophyte that persist in environment providing reservoir of infection.
• Transmission of disease occurs through contact with infected material with traumatized skin, biting flies, ticks or inhalation of spores.

Clinical Signs:

• Freely movable cutaneous nodules, especially on neck, legs, chest, face
• Nodules tends to ulcerate and undergoes alternating periods of discharge and closure.
• Affected lymph nodes becomes enlarged and hard.
• Skin covering nodules may become thick, indurated and fused
• Nodules are usually pyogranulomatous containing thick, creamy exudate and causative organism.
• Affected animals becomes weak and anorectic as disease progress.
• Lesion may heal spontaneously after 2-3 months, resulting in stellate scar formation.
• In pulmonary form, animals feel difficulty in breathing, coughing, nasal discharge and signs of pneumonia may be present.

Diagnosis:

• On basis of history and clinical findings
• Isolation of organism by culturing in agar media
• Microscopic examination of stained smears
• Serological testing; FAT, ELISA, Skin hypersensitivity test

Differential Diagnosis:

• Disease should be differentiated with farcy, ulcerative lymphangitis caused by Corneybacterium pseudotuberculosis, indolent ulcers caused by Rhodococcus equi, Sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix schenckii, Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis, Strangles and Cutaneous lymphosarcoma

Treatment:

• Antifungal drugs should be administered. Amphotericin-B or azole group of drugs are satisfactory in treatment.
• Some cases require iodide treatment
• In case of abscess formation, surgical excision is required to drain out abscess. After drainage, wound should be lavaged with dilute povidone iodine solution
• Topical antibiotics cream and keratolytic agents are applied to promote healing.
• For control of disease, biosecurity measures should be adopted. Affected animals should be isolated and insect vectors should be controlled in shed areas.
• Animals should be screened periodically for disease in endemic areas and animals tested positive should be isolated from rest of herd.

Ulcerative lymphangitis:

• It is an infectious disease of cattle and horses characterized by formation of skin ulcers with involvement of lymph vessels of lower limbs.
• It is distributed world-wide.

Etiology:

• This disease is mainly caused by Corneybacterium pseudotuberculosis.
• It is pleomorphic, non-motile, non-spore forming gram-positive bacteria.

Transmission:

• Organism remain in skin and enters when skin is abraded.
• Organism then invades lymph vessels and lead to formation of abscess.

Clinical Findings:

• Disease progresses as diffuse swelling on one or both limbs causing lameness.
• Nodules on legs breaks down leading to formation of ulcers
• Thick greenish exudate mixed with blood appears from such ulcers.

Diagnosis:

• On basis of history and clinical findings
• Isolation and identification of organism
• Animal inoculation- Rapid death from peritonitis when infected materials are inoculated in guinea pig.

Differential Diagnosis:

• Disease should be differentiated with other lymphangitis and lymphadenitis, Glanders, Strangles.

Treatment:

• Broad-spectrum antibiotics should be administered in cattle or animals
• Daily cleaning and dressing of ulcerated wounds with antiseptic solution.
• If abscess is formed, it should be drained and wound should be cleaned with dilute antiseptic solution.
• NSAID drugs; meloxicam or paracetamol should be administered to prevent pain and fever.
• All contaminated materials should be properly disinfected and disposed.
• Affected animals or susceptible animals should be isolated from rest of herd
• Good hygiene of animals and sheds should be maintained.