II4 DISEASES OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



Water, Dry, Yellow, or Bloody Murrain, Bovine Piroplasmosis, 

 Splenic Fever, Protozoan Fever, etc. 



Texas Fever. — An infection of the blood of cattle with 

 protozoa (Piroplasma bigemimum) transmitted to the affected 

 animal by means of the cattle tick, Boophilus annulatus. Only 

 cattle are susceptible to Texas fever, although other animals harbor 

 the tick. The disease is characterized by an acute and chronic 

 form. The acute type attacks non-immune Northern and susceptible 

 Southern cattle in hot weather. In the acute form, fever (temp. 

 io7°-io8° F.), depression, loss of appetite and rumination are 

 seen. The animal lies down, or stands in a dejected state with 

 arched back from pain in the kidneys and liver. The appearance of 

 bloody urine, due to disintegration of the red corpuscles by the 

 parasite and leading to hemoglobinuria, is most characteristic. The 

 color of the urine ranges from pinkish to black and rarely abnormal 

 pigmentation is absent. Albumin is usually present and the specific 

 gravity is raised from 1010-20 to 1030-40. 



The blood is pale and watery and the parasite is found within 

 the red corpuscles. A drop of blood spread evenly over a cover 

 glass in the usual manner and dried and fixed over a flame and 

 stained in a 0.5 per cent, methylene blue solution shows pear-shaped 

 or round bodies, two or three in number, in the old corpuscles. 

 Cerebral symptoms, as evidenced by staggering gait, delirium and 

 blindness, are sometimes present. Abortion and arrest of lactation 

 are frequent. Death occurs within three or four days, preceded by 

 a great fall of temperature. In non-fatal cases the fever drops 

 gradually and convalescence is very prolonged. 



The chronic or mild type is seen in non-immune animals in the 

 fall and in the partially immune animals in the Southern states at 

 any time. There is fever, the temperature ranging from 103 to 

 105 F. Loss of appetite and rumination, with constipation and 

 albumin in the urine, are present. The blood is pale and the mucous 

 membranes anemic, but blood seldom appears in the urine. Death 



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