Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia Diagnosis
Information about how the disease is diagnosed.
Diagnosis
Clinical diagnosis of CBPP is difficult. In countries where the disease exists, diagnosis is based on the combination of an examination of suspect cattle by a veterinarian, review of the history of the herd, and a postmortem examination including submission of samples for essential laboratory tests. Nasal swabs, transtracheal washes, or pleural fluid obtained by thoracic puncture all provide good samples for isolation attempts .
Postmortem Examination
At postmortem, the gross lesions of CBPP are somewhat distinct.
- Deposits of fibrin in thoracic cavity
- Straw-colored fluid in the thoracic cavity
- Marbling of pulmonary tissue
- Damaged lung tissue is firm to touch
Generally, all stages of pathologic changes, from acute to chronic, are present in one animal. Unlike many other pneumonias, CBPP is often unilateral (only occurring on one side of the animal). One or more joints of the infected animal may be swollen. The joint fluid in the affected joint will have lost its normal viscosity and have a watery
consistency.
Differential Diagnosis
Clinically, CBPP may be confused with other pneumonic conditions, most especially bovine pasteurellosis. However, bovine pasteurellosis usually spreads more quickly and is marked by a different epidemiological picture.