DERMATOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF STEPHANOFILARIASIS (HUMPSORE) IN CATTLE AND ITS THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES

Abstract

A study was carried out on dermatopathological and therapeutic approaches of stephanofilariasis (humpsore) in cattle from March to December,2011 at Birgonj upozila of Dinajpur district.A total 1427 cattle were selected under farm and rural condition. Among them,381 cattle were affected with humpsore by using close visual inspection,palpation of skin surface and other clinicopathological techniques. The clinical and pathological features including topographic positions of the lesions as well as complications were recorded. The skins of 3 typically affected with stephanofilariasis were collected, preserved, processed, embedded with paraffin, sectioned and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for the histopathological study. The highest prevalence rates were recorded in dairy farm (31.63%), 10-15 age groups (83.00%) and male (31.57%). Crusts including the worm, were examined in the parasitology laboratory of HSTU for the identification of Stephanofilaria spp. Common predisposing factors were frequent rubbing by rope and metallic chain used for restraint, yoke used in draft animals, fences, barbed wire, manger protector and continuous ocular discharge. The more usual sites were the neck, withers / hump and ear. With an increase in the number of sites affected there was decrease in the number of animals. The most common clinical signs were the intense pruritis, ulcerated and non-ulcerated lesions with heavy accommulation of firm crusts. Histopathological changes were hyperkeratosis, presence of cross and longitudinal section of parasites. Sml. of Ivermectin solution was injected under the lesion at different places of the sore. Three doses were repeated at weekly intervals in 20 cattle. An ointment containing Zinc oxide 45 gm. Potassium iodide 2 gm, Methylene blue | gm and Vaseline to make 100gm was applied simultaneously once on alternate day until complete cure of the lesions. The results indicate that humpsore is an important disease of cattle in the study area.