408 Malignant Catarrhal Fever of Cattle. 



3. Malignant Catarrhal Fever of Cattle. Coryza gangraenosa 



bovum. 



{Rhinitis gangraeuosa, Bosartiges Katarrlial-fieher der Binder 

 iGerman]; Coryza gangreneux, mat de tete de con- 

 tagion [French] ; Fehbre catarrale infettiva 

 [Italian].) 



Malignant catarrhal fever is an acute, non-contagious, in- 

 fections disease of cattle and buffalo, which is characterized 

 especially by an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the 

 head, with a tendency to formation of membranes and ulcera- 

 tions, with a simultaneous affection of the eyes and severe ner- 

 vous symptoms. 



History. The disease has been observed and described repeatedly 

 since the end of the eighteenth century; its nature however was, even 

 lip to the present time, not sufficiently estabhshed. Anker (1832) de- 

 scribes it as typhus of cattle, he as well as Spinola were of the opinion 

 that the benign nasal catarrh may change to the malignant type under 

 certain conditions. Haubner and Roll, later also Lucet, laid particular 

 stress on the diphtheritic affection of the mucous membranes, the disease 

 however was not considered as a specifie infection of cattle until Bugnion 

 (1877) classified it as such, his view being at present generally accepted. 

 Transmission experiments were carried out by Brusasco (1887) and 

 Lucet (1892), with negative results, while Leclainche (1898) added fur- 

 ther contributions to the etiology of the disease. 



Occurrence. The disease is observed either sporadically 

 or as a stable infection. In some localities, and especially in 

 stables of poor cattle owners it is more frequent than under 

 more favorable hygienic conditions. 



Tn Europe the disease occurs everywhere, most frequently, however, in northern 

 parts, on the Scandinavian peninsula (in 1904, 599 cases occurred in Norway), and 

 in Denmark. Severe outbreaks have repeatedly been reported from Eussia, but it 

 cannot be asserted with certainty that it was not mistaken for rinderpest or a 

 mixed infection. In Hungary most cases were observed in the mountainous region 

 of Northern Hungary and Siebenbiirgen. The disease is also known in South Africa 

 (in Transvaal as " Snottziekte, " Theiler). 



The disease has been observed among buffaloes in the Netherland-Indies, and 

 on the island of Java (Pascola, Paszotta). 



Etiology. The etiology of the disease is not yet entirely 

 clear. This can only be accepted with great probability, that 

 the supposed infective micro-organism produces through its 

 toxic products a general intoxication of the organism, in the 

 course of which the resistance of the tissues, and especially 

 of the mucous membranes is diminished, so that under the in- 

 fluence of other bacteria wdiicli subsequently reach these parts, 

 inflammatory processes develop on the mucous mem])rane with 

 the formation of fibrinous membranes, and later necrosis of 

 the tissue. 



Various authors (Ow, Semmer, Franck, Lucet and others) found 

 different bacteria in the deposits of the mucous membrane ; their part 



