What is Footrot Disease?

About Footrot Disease:

• It is a highly contagious disease affecting the interdigital (between the toes) tissue of ruminants.
• It is one of the most common causes of lameness in cattle and sheep and can result in serious economic loss.
• Once present in a herd/flock, footrot can be very difficult to control.
• Causative Agent: It is caused by the Dichelobacter nodosus bacteria in association with a number of other bacteria.
• Transmission:
  • Feet infected with D. nodosus serve as the source of infection for other cattle by contaminating the environment.
  • Infectious agents gain entry through the skinas a consequence of injury caused by sharp pieces of stone, metal, wood, stubble, or thorns.
• Footrot tends to be seasonal, with the highest incidence occurring during the wet seasons.
• Symptoms: Expression of virulent footrot disease includes:
  • chronic and severe lesions
  • lameness
  • loss of production
  • death, in severe cases.
• Treatment:
  • The interdigital tissue should be cleaned, debrided, and disinfected.
  • One antibiotic treatment is usually adequate if administered on the first day of disease.
  • Recovery is generally observed in three to four days.

Q1: What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacterial infections in people and animals. They work by killing the bacteria or by making it hard for the bacteria to grow and multiply.

Source: Footrot disease kills sheep, goats in Himachal, Gaddi shepherds suffer big losses