Degnala Disease

Synonym: Clinical Gangrenous Syndrome, Mycotoxicosis in cattle and buffalo

• Degnala disease is chronic gangrenous syndrome of cattle and buffaloes.
• It is characterized by fever, general malaise, oedema of extremities, general wasting with necrosis, sloughing of tissues of tail end or ear tip, drying and sloughing of skin of muzzle and limited movements of affected animals due to painful condition of legs.
• The disease is named Degnala or Deg Nala because it was initially identified near the flow of water from monsoon rains in the Murdike area of Pakistan, near the Deg Nala River, in the 1930s.

Etiology:

• Disease is caused by a fungus named Fusarium equiseti found in mouldy paddy straw.
• Other agents responsible for disease includes:
  • Aspergillus sps
  • Penicillium sps
  • Rhizopus sps
  • Trichothecium sps
• Fungus produces a mycotoxin which is responsible for the development of disease.

Epidemiology:

• Disease was first recorded by Shirlaw in 1929-30 from Deg nala rivulet of Pakistan.
• In 1971 disease was then reported from Punjab. In year 1969-1971, disease was also reported from Haryana.
• Outbreaks of Degnala were reported from year 1998-1999 in 5 villages of Banke District; Bankatwa, Mahadev Puri, Bethani, Khajura, Manokapur
• Disease was first reported in 1986 from Nepal. Since, then it has spread to other districts of Nepal.
• The morbidity and mortality rates were 61.60% and 13.93% respectively in buffaloes and 13.49% and 2.41% in cattle conducted in epidemiological studies in Haryana.
• Incidence is more common in lowland areas. It has seasonal incidence and sporadic cases in winter months when paddy straw is used as fodder.
• It has appeared as an epidemic in South Asian countries including Nepal.

Pathogenesis:

Clinical Findings:

• Anorexia, lameness
• Reluctance to walk
• Edema, oozing
• Gangrenous ulceration around the corona of hoof or tail
• Falling off of the hoof
• Eruption or cracking of skin

• Emaciation and recumbency with eventual death.
• At least 10-40% of cases result in death.
• The disease also affects reproductive health, leading to decreased fertility rates in buffaloes.

PM Findings:

• Hardened and thickened blood vessels
• Excessive straw-colored fluid in subcutaneous tissue and heart
• Edema and gangrenous extremities, i.e. ear lobe, tip of tongue, tail

Diagnosis:

• Based on history of disease development
• Based on clinical findings
• Based on PM findings
• Hematological examination: Neutrophilia, Hypoalbuminemia, Hypoalbuminemia
• Cultural examination: skin scrapping is cultured in SDA media.

Differential Diagnosis:

1. Ergot poisoning:

• Lameness of hind limbs
• Skin necrosis
• CNS affections

2. Chronic Se toxicity:

• GI irritation
• Cirrhosis of liver

3. Foot rot:

• Wound in interdigital spaces
• Bacteria; Fusobacterium necrophorum can be isolated from wound

4. Mange:

• Itching, alopecia but no fever
• Sarcoptes mites are observed in scrappings.

Treatment:

• Oral administration of a pentasulfate solution, with 60 g given on the first day and 30 g given daily for 10 consecutive days, combined with the application of 2% nitroglycerin ointment to skin lesions.
• The pentasulfate solution is composed of 166 g of ferrous sulfate, 100 g of magnesium sulfate, 75 g of zinc sulfate, 24 g of copper sulfate, 0 and 15 g of cobalt sulfate.
• Antidegnala liquor (Zinc sulphate) (2 to 5% arsenic sulfate) @ 10 ml x PO x OD x 10 days.
• Oxytetracycline LA @ 1ml/10 kg b.wt. x I/M x OD x 5 days
• Ivermectin @ 1ml/50 kg b.wt. x S/C x SD
• Acetylarsan (Ar. compound) inj. @ 5-10 ml x S/C x alternate days x 4 inj.
• Teeburb capsule (Herbal preparation) @ 2 capsules orally x OD x 20 days
• Antiseptic washing and dressing of wounds until healing (Ointments/Lotios – himax, lorexane, wokadine solutions)
• Liver tonics, multivitamins
• Broad-spectrum antibiotics are recommended for the prevention or treatment of secondary bacterial infections.

Control Measures:

• Feeding of forage; especially moist and soiled straw should be avoided.
• Rice straw, straw from other cereals and hay should be stored in dry places.
• A rice straw spray treatment with 4% sodium hydroxide has been reported before offering to animal.
• Nutritious diet should be given.
• Rice and wheat should be harvested in time and post-harvesting should be done carefully.
• Balanced chemical fertilizer should be used.
• Mineral mixture should be regularly fed to animals as a feed supplement, particularly to buffaloes stock.