Bradzot

For the first time, as an independent disease, bradzot was described by the Norwegian veterinarian Ivar Nielsen ( Norwegian. Ivar Nielsen ) in 1888. He found that the disease is caused by toxin - forming bacteria from the genus Clostridium ( lat. Clostridium ) developing in the abomasum of sheep. Most often it is Clostridium septicum , but Clostridium oedematiens also occurs , less often Clostridium gigas ^[2] .

Under natural conditions, sheep of both sexes, all breeds and ages are susceptible to the disease. The economic damage from it is significant.

Bradzot is most characteristic for the countries of Northern Europe - Iceland , Norway , Scotland and the Faroe Islands , but sometimes it is found in places quite far from them, for example, Australia and the USA.

Bradzot is not contagious, but often manifests itself as an epidemic . The reason is that pathogens enter the body from soil contaminated with spores of clostridia water. Therefore, especially large epizootics occur in rainy years. In addition, an increase in the incidence may occur during the period of frost after eating frozen grass or frost - covered food, as well as due to hypothermia, for example, after cutting ^[2] .

The course of the disease in a significant part passes secretly. Young animals die 11 to 55 hours after infection, old ones sometimes recover. Visible clinical signs are observed only for 10-15 minutes, less often 2-12 hours before the outcome. It looks like a fall in convulsions of a healthy-looking animal. Sometimes there is diarrhea, bloating, gnashing of teeth and foam from the mouth. Fallen sheep sometimes have such a bloating that the skin ruptures. Bloody fluid is often released from natural openings. Visible mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and conjunctiva are cyanotic. Wool is easily pulled out of the skin ^[2] .

In affected herds, losses can exceed 50% ^[1] .

It is very difficult to make a lifetime diagnosis, as the disease is very acute, and clinical signs are not typical enough. Epizootological data are taken into account. It is especially important to collect information on the registration of outbreaks of bradzot in this area in past years. Of great diagnostic value is the detection of serous hemorrhagic infiltrates penetrated by gas bubbles in the subcutaneous tissue, hemorrhagic inflammation and mucous membrane of the abomasum and duodenum, the presence of foci of necrosis in the liver ^[3] .

The treatment is currently not developed. An effective preventive measure is vaccination with a multivalent concentrated vaccine ^[1] .

If a disease is detected, quarantine is introduced, which is removed after 14 days after the end of vaccinations or the last case of death from a bradzot ^[2] .

• Clostridia

• Bradzot, in the book: Diseases of the Sheep. [Sat Art.], under the editorship of F. A. Terentyev [et al.], M., 1963.