Necrobacillosis of liver

It is a disease of cattle and lambs. The causative organism is Fusobacterium necrophorum. The condition does not usually cause any clinical symptoms in an animal. The lesions are noticed in cattle after death at the post-mortem. In acute cases there is fever, anorexia, depression and reduced milk yield. There is a severe abdominal pain due to ruminitis. In chronic form emaciation and intermittent diarrhoea occur. Liver necrosis develops in focal areas which may coalesce. The lesions have a central core of pus.

Control: General hygiene prevents the disease to some extent. In sheep the disease can be prevented by the disinfection of navel at birth and providing clean bedding.