ACTINOBACILLOSIS (Wooden Tongue) Actinobacillosis is caused by gram-negative Actinobacillus lignieresi , rod shaped, aerobic organism.

coccobacilli

It is an obligatory parasite of URT and alimentary mucosa.

It almost always involves soft tissue, including lymph nodes through which the organisms frequently spread, but also may involve adjacent bony tissue. Etiology: Actinobacillus lignieresii is the etiologic agent of wooden tongue, primarily seen in cattle but also in sheep, horses, pigs, and dogs. Wooden tongue is characterized as a hard, tumorous abscess of the tongue.

Epidemiology& Pathogenesis The organism is part of the normal flora of the mucous membranes of the animals upper GI tract. It causes disease by gaining access to adjacent soft tissue via penetrating wounds and causing localized infections or spreading, via the lymphatics, to other tissues and organs. Although the disease caused by this organism is distributed worldwide; it is sporadic in its occurrence and, as such, is difficult to prevent.

Gross lesionsThere is enlargement and thickening of the tongue. The affected areas are hard and resistant. Cutting produces a granting sound.

The cut surface of tongue presents a glistening, moist yellowish red or greasy white appearance or semitransparent yellowish gray. The affected Tongue is partially immobilized and often permeated with abscesses.
Other areas like gums, pharynx, palate, associated lymph nodes, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver, peritoneum, pleural cavities may be affected.

Microscopic lesionsThese are characterized by the formation of granulomas which comprise a central mass of discrete colonies of organisms (pink colored) surrounded by radiating clubs due to Ag- Ab reaction suspended in pus and encapsulated with dense connective tissue. Around which neutrophils surround and there is sheath of histiocytes, epitheloid cells, macrophages, giant cells, lymphocytes, plasma cells surrounded by FCT. The colonies are much smaller, the radiating clubs longer and more slender and the purulent exudate is more abundant. It may also cause pyogranulomatous lesions in soft tissues associated with the head, neck, and limbs, and occasionally in the lungs, pleura, udder, and subcutaneous tissue.

The combination of bacteria and club-like processes have the appearance of grayish white sulfur granules that are <1 mm in diameter. Some nodules may liquefy and suppurate and form abscesses. There may be lymphangitis which become thick and corded. In few cases, diffuse sclerosing actinobacillosis (wooden tongue) is produced, due to overgrowth of replacing the parenchyma and tongue become hard, rigid and firm leading to starvation. In lungs, interlobular septa may contain yellowish green pus. Lymph nodes are enlarged, show discrete nodules and in chronic cases may become sclerosed.

In sheep the lingual lesions are uncommon.

Diagnosis

Symptoms
Examination of the pus smears by staining

Histopathology of the lesions i.e. sulphur granules

AGPT test.

ACTINOMYCOSIS (Lumpy Jaw)

Actinomycosis is a disease caused by gram-positive rods belonging to the genus Actinomyces. It frequently, but not always, appears as filamentous or branching rods (Ray fungus).

Etiology: Actinomyces bovis is the etiologic agent of lumpy jaw in cattle.

These organisms are normal flora of the oral and nasopharyngeal mucous membranes. It has also been isolated from nodular abscesses in the lungs of cattle and from infrequent infections in sheep, pigs, dogs, and other mammals, including chronic fistulous withers and chronic poll evil in horses.

Lumpy jaw is characterized as a swelling with draining tracts resulting from a chronic, progressive, indurated, granulomatous, suppurative abscess that most frequently involves the mandible, the maxillae, or other bony tissues in the head.

Pathogenesis
Disease occurs when A. bovis is introduced to underlying soft tissue, via penetrating wounds of the oral mucosa from wire or coarse hay or sticks, and spreads to adjacent bone. Involvement of adjacent bone frequently results in facial distortion, loose teeth (making chewing difficult), and dyspnea from swelling into the nasal cavity.

Actinomycosis

Affected animal ultimately die of starvation.

Infection in fore stomach leads to indigestion and diarrhea.

Gross changes Granulomatous lesions in mandibular region, referred as Lumpy jaw, there may be rarefaction of the bone, proliferation of connective tissue and irregular hyperplasia of osteoid tissue resulting in a greatly enlarged mandible. By direct extension from the gums and periodontium ------ lead to actinomycotic periostitis.

More commonly medulla is infected and filled with specific actinomycotic granulation containing nodules, May liquefies to form pus leading to formation of fistulae and ultimately whole bone is destroyed. The process may extend to the adjacent structures, muscles, s/c tissue & skin, mm, sinuses and duramater.

Microscopic changes Pyogranulomatous lesions is similar to actinobacillosis with few minor differences.

There is chronic suppurative inflammation in the center of which is an irregular basophilic staining mass of radiating club like structure which appears as firm yellow colored granules, varying in size from just visible to 2 mm in diameter which are called as sulphur granules. It is surrounded by narrow zone of eosinophilic structure which represents antigen antibody reaction zone. Immediately adjacent to the sulphur granules, there is a dense mass of neutrophils, and both are surrounded by an encapsulating mass of lymphocytes, macrophages and giant cells and fibrous connective tissue.

Diagnosis May be based on clinical signs alone. However, demonstration of gram-positive rods in yellowish sulfur granules from aspirated purulent material will help confirm the diagnosis. Culture results and histopathologic analysis of involved tissue can further confirm the diagnosis.