Surto de dermatofilose em bezerros Nelore criados extensivamente em Goiás / Dermatophilosis outbreak in Nelore calves raised extensively in Goiás, midwestern Brazil

ABSTRACT

Background: Dermatophilosis is an infectious-contagious disease of acute, subacute or chronic evolution caused by the etiologic agent Dermatophilus congolensis, and presents as hyperplastic or exudative dermatitis with crusty and scaly skin eruptions. Although it is a disease with important economic impact on Brazilian beef cattle, the reports of outbreaks in zebu cattle are restricted to the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. The present paper aimed to report the epidemiological, clinical, laboratorial and pathological findings of a dermatophilosis outbreak in Nelore calves raised extensively in Goiás, Midwestern Brazil. Case An outbreak of skin lesions in Nelore calves occurred on a farm located in Cocalzinho de Goiás, Goiás, Midwestern Brazil. Fifty one (25.5%) of the 200 calves from 3-11-months-old presented cutaneous lesions. Forty nine of the calves were still suckling and two were weaned recently, and the most affected calves were offspring’s of cows with the lowest body condition score. Three severely affected calves were clinically examined presenting regular body condition score, pale pink ocular mucosa, fever (39.2-40.3°C), tachycardia (80-100 beats per minute), tachypnea (48-56 breaths per minute) and moderate presence of ticks. Skin inspection revealed crusty, elevated, non-pruritic lesions of grayish color that easily detached from the skin exposing a humid and hemorrhagic superficial lesion with pus. Lesions were widespread on the body with predominance on the face, ears, neck and dorsal region. Hematological findings of these calves presented leukocytosis (16,083 ± 1,910/µL) by netrophilia (11,121 ± 2,349/µL) and hyperfibrinogenemia (966.6 ± 208.16 mg/dL). Biochemical alterations consisted of hypoproteinemia (6.5 ± 0.5 g/dL) and a slight increase in GGT activity in two calves (28 and 19 U/L, respectively)...