Blackleg, black quarter, quarter evil, quarter ill is an infectious

Infectious disease

Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...

 bacteria

Bacteria

Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...

l disease

Disease

A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...

 of sheep and cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

, caused by Clostridium chauvoei

Clostridium chauvoei

Clostridium chauvoei is an anaerobic, motile, gram-positive bacterium. It causes a disease called blackleg of cattle and sheep....

 bacteria. It is found all over the world. A symptom of blackleg is characteristic swellings which make a cracking sound under pressure. Blackleg vaccine gives immunity against it.

Causative organism

Clostridium chauvoei

Clostridium chauvoei

Clostridium chauvoei is an anaerobic, motile, gram-positive bacterium. It causes a disease called blackleg of cattle and sheep....

 and Clostridium

Clostridium

Clostridium is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria, belonging to the Firmicutes. They are obligate anaerobes capable of producing endospores. Individual cells are rod-shaped, which gives them their name, from the Greek kloster or spindle...

 feseri. In rare cases other species of Clostridium are also involved such as C.septicum.
Clostridia are rod-shaped, anaerobic

Anaerobic

Anaerobic is a word which literally means without oxygen, as opposed to aerobic.In wastewater treatment the absence of oxygen is indicated as anoxic; and anaerobic is used to indicate the absence of a common electron acceptor such as nitrate, sulfate or oxygen.Anaerobic may refer to:*Anaerobic...

, spore

Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...

-forming, and gram positive. All clostridium species make gases during infection.

Vaccination and prevention

The use of a 7-way clostridial vaccination is the most common, cheapest, and efficacious preventative measure taken against Blackleg. Burning the upper layer of soil to eradicate left-over spores is the best way to stop the spread of blackleg from diseased cattle. Diseased cattle should be isolated. Treatment is generally unrewarding due to the rapid progression of the disease, however penicillin

Penicillin

Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....

is the drug of choice for treatment. Treatment is only effective in the early stages and as a control measure.

External links

• Blackleg and Other Clostridial Diseases
• Blackleg - Cattle.com