Actínomycosis and Actinohacillosis 265 nated in the fall to insure protection their immediate removal to a new during the fall and winter. Some cattle pasture on higher ground; owners in badly infected areas follow The prompt disposition of dead the practice of vaccinating every 6 animals by complete burning or deep months all animals between the ages of burial in quicklime; 2 and I o months. The destruction of manure, bedding, A product known as antiblackleg and other contaminated material by serum is sometimes used for immuniz- burning; ing valuable calves exposed in out- The cleaning and disinfection of con- breaks. This product immediately in- taminated stables; and creases the animal's resistance to black- The rigid enforcement of restrictions leg, but the type of immunity it con- against skinning dead animals, feeding fers ceases after about 2 weeks. the carcass to other animals on the In some blackleg districts wehere the farm, and removing the carcass from soil is also believed to be infected with the premises to a rendering plant. the organism that causes malignant When a suspected outbreak of black- edema infection in animals, a bivalent leg occurs, a veterinarian or the State or mixed bacterin containing both or- livestock sanitary official should be ganisms and known as Clostridium chau- promptly notified. voei-septicus bacterin has been used for the prevention of both blackleg and G. D. STEIN, a graduate of the Univer- malignant edema. sity of Pennsylvania^ is a veterinarian in the Animal Disease and Parasite Research RECOGNIZED CONTROL measures in Branch of the Agricultural Research Service. outbreaks of blackleg include: He has been with the Department of Agri- The isolation and treatment of all culture since igii, having served in three di- animals showing early symptoms of visions of the former Bureau of Animal In- the disease; dustry. For many years he has done research The vaccination of apparently well on anthrax.^ equine infectious anemia^ and but exposed animals and, if feasible, other infectious diseases of livestock. Actinomycosis and Actinobacillosis A. W. MONLUX AND C. L. DAVIS MANY swellings or growths found in organism, Ac fino bacillus lignieresi, which the tissues of the head and throat of lives only in the presence of oxygen. cattle are diagnosed as cither acti- Research groups also established that nomycosis or actinobacillosis. The two actinomycosis generally is localized in infections were regarded as a single bone (usually the maxilla and mandi- disease until the 1930's. ble, or jaws) and that recurrence of the Investigators finally proved that an infection often follows therapy. An infection designated as actinobacillosis anaerobic micro-organism, Actinomyces is found in the softer tissues (lymph bovis, which is more closely related to nodes, tongue, lungs, and the deeper fungi than to true bacteria, produces layers of the skin) and is amenable to these lesions involving the jaws. treatment. It is caused by the micro- Veterinarians now use the sulfona- 266 Yearbook of Agriculture 1956 mides, antibiotics, iodides, and surgery Fistulas from abscesses of the bones to treat both diseases. Healing of the of the head sometimes extend inward lesions of actinobacillosis usually can and discharge into the pharynx or be expected after proper therapy. Re- mouth. The palate and gums next to ports indicate that streptomycin has the bones often are swollen and in- produced more rapid clinical im- flamed. The teeth may loosen. provement in cases of actinomycosis Small, hard, yellowish granules, than one would expect with iodide called "sulfur granules" or "rosettes," medication. However, substantiated are present as tiny grains in the pus claims of permanent cures of an acti- from abscesses of both actinomycosis nomycotic infection with this antibiotic and actinobacillosis. They are barely have not appeared in the veterinary visible to the unaided eye. reports. All the granules look alike when viewed under a microscope. Many No METHOD OF IMMUNIZATION for small, clublike bodies are arranged either infection has been devised. around a colony of micro-organisms, Veterinarians report epizootics of like the petals of a flower. This micro- actinobacillosis among young feeder scopic resemblance to a rose is cattle on individual farms and ranches, responsible for the designation of the particularly in the Western States. granules as "rosettes." The actinomy- The records of the Meat Inspection cotic rosettes are usually 2 or 3 times Branch indicate that observed infec- larger than those of actinobacillosis. tions of actinobacillosis and actinomy- An accepted diagnostic procedure is cosis in cattle are tabulated together in to crush large numbers of washed their inspection procedures. They rep- granules on a slide and stain the pre- resent a cause for condemnation in cat- pared slide with a Gram stain. Gram- tle that exceeds any other individual positive micro-organisms, which may condemnation for any disease or condi- be seen either as short rods, filaments, tion. During the fiscal year that ended or branching forms, are identifiable June 30, 1953, the two diseases were microscopically in typical cases of reported to occur in 200,645 cattle and actinomycosis. The actinobacillosis calves out of 21,231,784 slaughtered. micro-organisms can also be demon- Parts (usually the head) of the car- strated by a similar treatment of its casses were condemned; 807 entire car- rosettes and is characteristically a casses were considered unfit for food short, Gram-negative bacillus. for people. Bactériologie cultural studies of the lesions can be made as a supplemental ACTINOMYCOSIS, commonly known and conclusive diagnostic procedure as "lumpy jaw" or ''big jaw," usually for each disease. Results of such involves the bones of the head, particu- examinations arc never available for larly the lower jaw. Actinomycotic in- several days or weeks. Experienced fections of the softer tissues occur in diagnosticians usually can predict cattle but are rare. accurately which specific micro-organ- Large, pus-filled tracts or cavities ism will be isolated in bactériologie (abscesses) form when the infection studies by the microscopic examina- spreads through the bone. Connective tion of the stained smears of crushed and other body reparative tissues in rosettes. and near the bone grow abundantly in an attempt to wall off the abscess. ACTINOBACILLOSIS of the head and By the time the infection has extended neck region often can be recognized from the bone to the soft tissue and skin easily in a herd of cattle, as there may to establish a fistula or drain for the be swellings under the skin, which can lesion, the involved parts of the jaws be moved with the fingers and may be may be enlarged 2 or 3 times. as big as a walnut or an egg, or even Actinomycosis and Actinohacillosis 267 larger. A livestock owner who inspects and subcutaneous tissue (other than his cattle every week generally notes a that of the head and neck) are some progressive increase in the size of the of the sites where the infection has growths. been found. One or more lymph nodes of the Gases with extensive lesions on the neck may be abscessed. These growths internal lining of the body cavities usually are more firm and located (pleura, peritoneum) are quite spec- deeper in the soft tissues. Sometimes tacular to see and have been the sub- "chains" of enlarged lymph nodes can ject of several published reports. be palpated as the infection spreads The occurrence of actinobacillosis down the neck. Firmness of both the varies in difi'erent sections of the United subcutaneous and lymph nodes lesions States, but generally it seems to be 5 is also related to the amount of con- or 6 times as prevalent in cattle as nective tissue deposited in and around actinomycosis. them and invariably increases as the Natural infections with actinobacil- growths become older. losis are also found in sheep, swine, These older, fibrotic growths may deer, and other wild animals, but not become partially calcified. The ab- so often as in cattle. Laboratory ani- scessed enlargements of the subcutis mals, including rats, mice, guinea pigs, often break through the skin, dis- and rabbits, are difficult to infect by charging pus. The most common the inoculation of cultures of Actino- manifestation of the disease in slaugh- bacillus lignieresi. tered cattle are abscesses of variable Few cases of actinobacillosis in man sizes in the cervical (neck) lymph have been reported. Actinomycosis, on nodes, which one may not be able to the other hand, has been found in man, detect in the live animal. mostly among young and middle-aged The tongue may be affected, but less males. Actinomycosis is also diagnosed often than the lymph node and sub- in swine, sheep, horses, dogs, and many cutaneous tissues. Abscesses and ulcers species of wild animals. may occur in or near the groove on the upper surface of the tongue. When the A SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERY, first re- tongue is extensively involved, a ported in 1905, was that micro-organ- marked increase in the fibrous tissue isms identical to Actinomyces bovis were of the organ (fibrosis) results. The present in the tonsils, teeth, and mouth tongue then becomes increasingly in man as a part of the normal bac- hard and immobile and may protrude terial flora. Scientists subsequently have from the mouth—hence the term substantiated the findings and have "wooden tongue." The animal will noted that lesions of actinomycosis have great difficulty in eating and could be produced in cattle and hogs drinking. by the inoculation of cultures isolated An infection with actinobacillosis from human tonsils. may produce a polyp, or pendulous There is a need for thorough investiga- type of growth, in the pharynx, larynx, tions of the bacterial flora of the tonsils or upper respiratory tract. Interfer- and mouth cavity of cattle.