Septicemic pasteurellosis causing necrotizing myositis in a beef cow (Bos taurus) in Alberta, Canada

Authors: DOYLE-BAKER, DOUGLAS - UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY; NGELEKA, MUSANGU - UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN; JANZEN, EUGENE - UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY; BRIGGS, ROBERT; DAVIES, JENNIFER - UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

Submitted to: Canadian Veterinary Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/7/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Septicemic pasteurellosis is an acute and fatal bacterial disease of cattle and wild ungulates caused by certain serotypes of Pasteurella multocida. Here we report a single case of septicemic pasteurellosis in a 6-month-old, Red Angus heifer from a cow–calf operation in Alberta, Canada. Postmortem examination revealed necrotizing and hemorrhagic myositis, fibrinous pericarditis and multisystemic bacterial emboli. Pasteurella multocida serogroup B was isolated from muscle in pure culture, typing of the organism was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of septicemic pasteurellosis in beef cattle in Canada.

Technical Abstract: Hemorrhagic septicemia, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is a common and costly disease of ruminant animals globally but is unusual in North America. This manuscript documents a case of fatal hemorrhagic septicemia in a beef breed calf in Canada, and provides complete genome DNA sequence of the recovered P. multocida. The report will facilitate disease diagnosis by veterinarians in the field and permit detailed epidemiologic study of the disease.