On a Dutch dairy farm, bolt fire, or meadow coccidiosis (Eimeria alabamensis), has broken out among rearing calves between 5 and 9 months old. In a short time, four calves died. That reports Veekijkernieuws Rundvee.
© Photography Twan Wiermans
One of the calves was presented to Royal GD, where an infection with the bacterium Clostridium chauveii was found. The spores of this bacterium can survive in the soil for decades. Contact with the vet showed that the farmer had dug new trenches and spread the released soil over the country. Roughage was subsequently extracted here, which probably contained spores of the bacteria. The roughage is eaten by the young stock.
The farmer gave the remaining animals different roughage for a few weeks, and the vet vaccinated them. According to GD, boltfire outbreaks are very incidental. It is mainly seen after excavation work, where the soil is spread over the land or to cover roughage pits.
Symptoms
Boltfire can mainly occur among sheep and young cattle between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. The first symptom is usually lameness and severe general illness, with loss of appetite, accelerated breathing, high fever and listlessness. Characteristic subcutaneous swellings are often seen in the blood-rich glutes, but can also be seen in the shoulder, chest, back, neck or elsewhere.
The swellings increase due to the gas associated with the inflammation. The animal usually dies between 12 to 48 hours after the occurrence of the said symptoms. This can happen so quickly that infected cattle are found dead without the farmer having seen any symptoms of disease.
If a case of bolt fire has been detected, several cases must be taken into account. It is then advisable to vaccinate these cattle as soon as possible. In addition, it is recommended to take temperatures during the first days after vaccination and to administer antibiotics if necessary. Boltfire can be prevented by vaccinating the cattle in advance.