In the spirit of the holiday season, I hope everything is going on smoothly for you and your pet, I appreciate the support I receive in form of upvotes and comments in this community, I do not take your love and support for granted, thank you so much. Today, we will be discussing a disease that affects cattle, sheep, and goats, the disease is named- Akabane.
Akabane disease is an arthropod-borne viral disease that has the ability to affect sheep, cattle, and goats. Akabane is a viral disease that spreads through insect bites, this virus in animals gives room for reproductive losses like stillbirths, offspring deformities, and abortions. Akabane happens in some regions of Australia as well as other tropical and subtropical regions, there has also been an outbreak in Asia, Africa as well as the Middle East. It is known that Akabane is spread through a biting insect, the major biting insect has not yet been identified, and mosquitoes and other biting midges are the possible suspects. Pregnant ruminants usually get the virus from the bite of an infected insect, causing the virus to spread to the offspring through blood circulation spread.
Akabane virus belongs to the genus Orthobunyavirus, and family Bunyaviridae. The timing of the infection is significant in the expression of teratogenic effects.The effect of Hydranencephalic and porncephaly usually occurs in the fetus when the cow is infected on the 76-104 day of gestation, but the arthrogrypois deformity happens when the cow gets infected between the 103-173 days of pregnancy.The occurrence of verbal deformities is also very possible, it includes torticollis and scoliosis which can occur without deformity in the limbs.
The Akabane virus comes with serious reproductive issues in animals, adult animals do not show any physical sign of illness except for cases of stillbirths, premature births, and birth complications while delivering their young but that is in the case of pregnant animals. Calves that get infected at an early stage of pregnancy are called "dummy calves", the dummy calves have the ability to walk and stand, but they possess behavioral abnormalities like depression, dullness, deafness, blindness, incoordination, and suckle reflex.
Calves that are infected during the second-trimester stage of calves are often fixed, rigid joints, and may not be able to stand appropriately. The muscles of the animal are usually underdeveloped and twisting of the spine can occur at this point as well.
Calves that get infected with the virus at the final trimester stage are particularly bright and alert but are unable to stand. The animal may be uncoordinated and paralyzed affecting one or more limbs, then have bulging eyes, extreme tearing, and even abnormal vocalization. Most calves that are infected often die after birth or must get euthanized due to lots of occurring abnormalities. The transfer of Akbane infection to humans does not exist (at least not yet).
Akabane virus does not get transmitted between animals except through arthropods, the introduction of the virus into an area where it is not endemic requires special care. There are available vaccines in some countries that can prevent fatal losses from occurring, but unfortunately, it isn't available everywhere. The disease happens seasonally in temperate areas and it happens all through the year.
The clinical signs of Akabane occurs when non-immune animals get infected during pregnancy. Clinical signs include;
- Congenital disease include; arthrogryposis, hydranencephaly, scoliosis,kyphosis,and spinal bifida.
- Late stillbirths and abortions.
According to clinical findings, arthrogryposis occurs as a result of fetal akinesia which happens to be fibrosis of the joints and the lack of creases, we also have thin atrophic extremities and fatty accumulations around the joints. The absence of motion at the strike of the disease, is usually caused by the failure linked with the development of skeletal muscle, the failure in skeletal muscle development, may be as a result of the abnormalities existing at the anterior horn call or more proximally in the nervous system.
There are other diseases that are muscle disease and may have the resmblance of akinesia, some of the diseases include; congenital myopathies, congenital muscular dystrophies, mitochondrial disorders, intrauterine myoitis.
There is no current treatment for animals affected by Akabane virus, but in order to contain the spread of the virus, a quick response is required especially in disease-free regions. Immediate report needs to be sent to the verterian authorities so they can do the needful and carry out proper curtailing. Akabane disease is seasonal in temperate regions, and they occur all year round but they become more active at certain times of the year, most specially in tropical regions. The reprodcutive phase of the disease is made visible when an animal that is immunologically naive is exposed to the virus during pregnancy. Animals often gets infected before sexual maturity age only in regions where is consistent outbreak of the virus. OUtbreaks can happen during environmental conditions favouring the multiplication of the culicoides vectors.
Fetus and newborns may either have arthrogryposis, hydranencephaly or both syndromes. For animals with arthrogryposis, one or more joints gets affected in one or multiple legs, the joints are fixed by abnormalities in the oft tissues and cannot be straightened. If the tendons are however cut, the joints have the ability to move freely.
Conclusion.
Akabane virus has the ability to affect all types of ruminant including sheep, cattle and goats, there are wild ruminants that can also be affected. The virus does not easily spread except there is a bite from mosquitoes and gnats, so extreme care has to be taken to protect animals from insect bites by the use of repellants, then keeping the animals indoors between dusk and dawn upon which the insects are usually mot active.