# CL, Pigeon Fever & Diphtheria



## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

Here is what I learned when I was writing my paper:

*Caseous lymphadenitis* is caused by the *Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis* bacteria. The family corynebacteriaceae has strains that cause all kinds of fun things, including mastitis, acne infections, and diptheria (http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/diphtheria.html, but no one bacteria causes all of them.

Corynebacterium cause lymphatic abscesses in several species, including goat & sheep http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/10801.htm&word=C%2cpseudotuberculosis, pigs, cattle, horses, cats, dogs, rats, camels and whales(!). In sheep & goats we call it CL. In horses & cows we call it Pigeon Fever, Pigeon Breast, Dry-land Distemper or False Strangles http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/10802.htm.

In fact, diphtheria type symptoms, which they used to assume were caused by corynebacterium ulcerans infections from cows, specifically from drinking raw milk, have been transferred from cats, dogs, and pigs to people. (http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/15/8/1314.htm

While CL infection in people is possible, it is rare. I did find references to infections in New Zealand & Spain from sheep (ovis). 
1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7769881?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed
2 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WHW-4PMJB8P-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=986244654&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=95ac7e78e0822f633895528b3087e5c6 I'm sure it is a good article, but $31.50!!!
3 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9114145?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

One of the most common forms of corynebacterium infection in the dry parts of the US is actually from Pigeon Fever in horses. That is what started my research, as I was concerned that having horses and goats was a bad thing (heaven forbid that my horses would ever endanger my herd health!) Research done indicates that the strain of Corynebacterium that infects horses & cows is of the same family as the one that infects sheep and goats, but is a different _biotype_. Strains of bacteria develop for each species they infect, thus there are different biotypes. That is why coccidia from your goats doesn't infect your chickens and vice versa. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TD6-3T40NDH-5&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=986242768&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=d7c9ba34e04260b8a8531e209547c4c4

Interestingly, they treat people with it with IV erythromycin, and report no reinfection...very odd, since we know that it is recurring in goats and sheep, as well as horses.

Now, the method of transmission of pigeon fever is not completely understood in horses, as I am sure it isn't in goats, but we know that the ground becomes infected with goats, as well as any porous surfaces. My vet confirmed that in horses, guaranteeing no exposure with insect vectors being a factor was almost impossible. I would assume the same with sheep/goats. If you buy a piece of property, how do you KNOW that there has never been a case of CL on that land?? In that barn? How do you know that your neighbor three doors down doesn't have CL in their sheep? That those sheep have never strayed onto your property? That your goats will never stray to theirs? That there was never an infected animal in the dirt floored or wooden penned stall at your fair? An infected animal was never hauled in the used trailer you bought. You don't. Animals, and people, do not live in a vacuum.

So there is the beginning of more than you ever wanted to know about the CL family tree


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Thanks Michelle, can we steal that for 101?


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

Sure Vicki, maybe someday I will finish the paper...


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Thanks for the info Michelle. This gives alot of insight on the subject and will help with discussing CL in the future. Tammy


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

Of course I can't find it now, but I had been researching this a while back, and stumbled across a paper out of New Zeland (it used to be one of the first things that popped up on a Google search, but not there now...) It said that CL in humans is now thought to be more prevalent among shepherds and goatherds than previously suspected. It also said that treatment in humans involved antibiotic therapy and surgical removal of infected lymph nodes... gotta find that one...


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

It is one of the references I gave in the paragraph about infection in people, he had an abscess in his right groin, they removed the node, tested it, and then treated with antibiotics. Interestingly enough, none of the cases in people I have found were from goats, only from sheep, 2 in New Zealand and 1 in Spain.


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

No, I looked at all the links you gave. It was different. I brought it up b/c it suggested that the prevalence in humans was not as rare. It also noted, contrary to other things I've read, that in humans, it is painful. I wonder if it has been retracted? All the other findings seem to indicate the opposite. ???


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## Hollybrook (Jul 17, 2009)

Very nice Michelle! Bravo :handclap

Billie please re-read the links, the CDC link;Corynebacterium diphtheriae it's not the same as Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis which causes CL in goats. for the C. diphtheriae to be prevalent in pigs crossing to humans doesn't supprise me consider the recent outbreak of the H1N1 and if you take insulin chances are it's from swine. Prevalence of CL in humans seems rare and the fact that the sheep herder had C. pseudotuberculosis his right groin for a year is remarkable.

As far as why the ABT worked on humans and not on goats I think because it's something that hasn't lived in humans, it cant get a good colonization kinda like someone said today about deer menage worms being confussed in goat's. Been a while for me but the name pseudotuberculosis, it's not TB but acts like it as I recall the body builds fibroid calcification's around the T. bacterium kinda like a capsule so its harder to treat maybe this is the same for goat's? Normal course of ABT for human TB was 15 mos.


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

I accidentally posted one of the links twice :blush it is now fixed. That paper cites 10 cases of exposure in Australia that _might_ be linked to CL because of their exposure to sheep. 10-13 is a drop in the bucket if you consider the prevalence of sheep farming in Australia, New Zealand and Spain added to the prevalence of CL in sheep worldwide. Mind that my point isn't to discourage any of us from being cautious, just to show the widespread inability to avoid the Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bacteria in its many forms. It is extremely rare for people to get CL, and I still haven't found one from goats.

Having had an abscess myself, though not from CL , I can testify to an abscess hurting, especially at the depth of a lymph node. I feel really sorry for the sheep rancher, he probably didn't go to the doctor until lambing and shearing were done


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

Dave, I wasn't confusing C. diptheriae with C. pseudotuberculosis. Really, there was another article. And....

Michelle, that's _exactly_ the one! (the new one has a #3 in front of it) I suppose I read "goats" rather than "sheep" in my mind when I was doing the research. I also read this part:

_"These 10 additional cases from one Australian state indicate that human lymphadenitis caused by C. pseudotuberculosis has not been as rare as the number of published reports indicates, at least in Australia."_

with a little more of an alarmist mindset than you did.  Understandable, maybe, after this part:

_"Surgical excision of the affected lymph glands is the mainstay of management, and antibiotic therapy is supplementary treatment." _

I must have got the painful part elsewhere, possibly from knowing someone with lymphandenitis (also not from CL) and they'd attest to the pain factor, as you did.

Thanks for all the research you did! Definitely lots to mull over! When you finish your paper, please let us all read it!


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## Hollybrook (Jul 17, 2009)

There was an article in the March/April 2009 Dairy Goat Journal called, 'Making Farmstead Goat Cheese in Italy'. The writer stayed on an Italian Goat Dairy, he said he observed many goats with CL abscesses and questioned the owners, they said its quite common over there yikes!!! He ate their cheese but I think he said he threw his shoes away before returning home to his goats, I just haven't heard of CL crossing over to humans that much. If anyone else has links Id be interested.

Thank you
Dave


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## Hollybrook (Jul 17, 2009)

Hey Billie & Michelle thanks for pointing that out I just read that one and stand corrected. Sheep or goat its the same bug thinking I would cull if we ever found any CL here we have a little boy to look out for.

Thanks Dave


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

All research I can find indicates it is the same bug for sheep & goats, _but_ if you read the papers you see that they distinguish it as _Ovis_ C. pseudotuberculosis, or a varient with ovis in it...so I don't know if they are noticing a distinction in type, or that is just how they say it isn't from another animal source, such as bovine or equine...

Of inportant note is that one reference I found indicated infection was from handling the exudate (pus) and causing contact with an open wound. Maybe those animal handlers don't use standard precautions like gloves and iodine when handling animals?? Maybe that is why we aren't seeing cases here in the US? I always wear gloves when treating any injury/illness.

Yes, Corynebacterium is very common all over the world, especially CL. In fact one refernence states that CL has no impact on productivity! Obviously a country that doesn't condemn hanging carcasses like we do in the US...

If you think about it, 10-13 cases in the last 10 years, given the number of animals worldwide with CL... you are more likely to be struck by lightning. BTW, they are vaccinating for CL in Australia, so they expect there to be fewer cases in people than ever there...vaccination will mean all animals will test positive.


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## Bella Star (Oct 27, 2007)

Very interesting and THANK YOU for the information as CL is awful stuff .


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