460 Stomacli-worm Disease of Cattle. 



Concerning the embryology of tlie gastric Strongylns of cat- 

 tle, the mode of natural infection and the pathogenesis, the 

 reader is referred to what has been said under strongylosis of 

 sheep (see page 457). 



Anatomical Changes. According to Schnyder and Blnnschy, 

 one finds in an advanced stage of the disease emaciation, anemia 

 and eventually hydremia ; the mucosa of the abomasum is swol- 

 len and edematous, raised in gelatinous folds, reddened here and 

 there and beset with grayish white nodules, the size of a pinhead, 

 with a small central pale vesicle (these formations are the so- 

 called worm nodules). One also sees erosions from the size of 

 a lentil to that of a finger nail. Sometimes the mucosa is cov- 

 ered with a heavy flocculent deposit. The Strongylns worms 

 may be found in the washings of the contents of the abomasum 

 (decanting the contents). 



The mucosa of the small intestines, especially in the median 

 portions of the latter, here and there is swollen and loose, forms 

 coarse transverse and longitudinal folds ; it is reddened in spots 

 as it is in enteritis paratuberculosa. 



Histologic examination shows that after entering the depressions and glands 

 of the fundus the worms penetrate down to the muscularis mueosfe and roll up 

 spirally, an exudate with round cell infiltration then occurs, and this forms nodules 

 with a central depression. Subsequently the tissue forming the nodule becomes de- 

 stroyed and a profuse proliferation of the tunica propria occurs. Though the worms 

 also get into the glands of the mucosa of the pylorus, nodules are not formed in this 

 part of the gastric mucosa, nor in that of the mucosa of the small intestine, but 

 there is a necrosis of the epithelial cells and of the lymph-follicles in the immediate 

 neighborhood of the parasites. After the worms have left the nodules in the gastric 

 mucosa, they bore into the mucosa of the small intestine with their head and project 

 free into the lumen of the bowel with their tail end. 



Symptoms. The clinical symptoms of gastric strongylosis 

 of cattle come on late in summer or early in fall and are similar 

 to those of the worm disease in sheep (see page 457). After 

 mixing the feces with water and- pipetting off the latter, one will 

 find in it more or less numerous strongylns ova. 



Watery stools are the most prominent symptom of the disease called 

 "Kalihrdndigheit," the fetid stools are voided in a curved stream and 

 usually contain small air bubbles. Thirst is increased. The further 

 course brings about rapidly increasing emaciation, anemia, diminution 

 of the secretion of milk, although the facial expression remains lively 

 almost to the end, temperature and pulse remain normal. There may be 

 an edema of the external region of the larynx and of the thorax even 

 during the first week of the affection. Temporary improvement occurs 

 occasionally. 



Diagnosis. A relial)le diagnosis can only be juade b}^ ex- 

 cluding disease of all other organs and finding the ova in the 

 feces ; sometimes the correct diagiiosis is made only after the 

 animals have been killed or have died a natural death. The dif- 



