What causes lumpy jaw in whitetail deer?

Asked by: Jeffrey Rodriguez

Lumpy jaw. Lumpy jaw is the result of an infection of the jaw bone with bacteria, specifically Actinomyces bovis. This bacteria is commonly found in the oral cavity of healthy deer; however, disease can occur when the bacteria invades deeper tissues through cuts in the mouth or dental disease.

Why would a deer have a swollen jaw?

How do deer get lumpy jaw? Lumpy jaw begins when a deer gets a cut or a puncture in the lining of its mouth, and the wound becomes infected with one of the causal bacteria (Gavier-Widen, Duff, and Meredith 2012).

How would you treat a case of lumpy jaw?

Recommended treatment for lumpy jaw usually includes sodium iodide, but this treatment is often ineffective and should be considered an adjunct, at best, to appropriate antibiotic therapy. Any discussion of treatment also must allow for the tremendous variation in the severity of osteomyelitis caused by A. bovis.

Is lumpy jaw fatal?

Lumpy jaw is an infectious bacterial disease commonly referred to as ‘actino’. This disease is similar to wooden tongue and has the potential to be fatal. Treatment can be successful if disease is detected early. It is most commonly seen in cattle.

What bacteria causes lumpy jaw?

Lumpy jaw is a disease the jaw bone caused by a bacterial infection. The causative organism (Actinomyces bovis) of Lumpy jaw enters the soft tissue of the mouth through open wounds. These wounds can be created by foreign bodies (sticks, wire), plant awns, foxtail awns, or rough coarse feeds.

What causes deer food Impactions?

Oral food impaction.
Oral food impactions are a clinical sign that is not specific to one cause, but rather can be associated with a few disease processes. The most common causes in white-tailed deer are dental disease, trauma to the inner lining of the oral cavity, or arterial worms.

Can deer take antibiotics?

Tulathromycin is a macrolide antibiotic used commonly to treat livestock, including deer, with bacterial respiratory infections, often delivered subcutaneous (SQ) or intramuscular (IM).

Can lumpy jaw be cured?

Treatment. Lumpy jaw is difficult to treat successfully. In valuable animals with early lesions, extended treatment with ceftiofur, oxytetracyclines and/or sodium iodide may be attempted, but results are uncertain and relapse may occur.

Can Johne’s disease spread to humans?

“The findings presented in this case report suggest MAP is zoonotic and can cause disease in humans with the clinical manifestations of both Johne’s and Crohn’s disease, a key point that has been argued for more than 100 years now,” said Davis.

What is Lumpjaw?

There are two kinds of “lump jaw” in cattle — soft-tissue abscesses arising from wounds in the mouth, and bone infections (bony lump jaw). Soft-tissue abscesses often result from foreign objects embedded in the mouth, such as sharp grass seeds, which are easily treated by lancing, draining and flushing.

How long does CL stay in the ground?

If an abscess ruptures in a pasture, the organic material (soil, grass) is contaminated, and the pasture should be rested for a prolonged period of time; CL has been shown to survive in soil for 8 months.

How is actinomycosis treated?

In most cases of actinomycosis, antimicrobial therapy is the only treatment required, although surgery can be adjunctive in selected cases. Penicillin G is the drug of choice for treating infections caused by actinomycetes. Parenteral antibiotics are administered initially via PICC line, with transition to oral agents.

What disease does Actinomyces cause?

Actinomycosis is a chronic localized or hematogenous anaerobic infection caused by Actinomyces israelii and other species of Actinomyces. Findings are a local abscess with multiple draining sinuses, a tuberculosis-like pneumonitis, and low-grade systemic symptoms.

What are the symptoms of actinomycetes?

Symptoms may include any of the following:

• Draining sores in the skin, especially on the chest wall from lung infection with actinomyces.
• Fever.
• Mild or no pain.
• Swelling or a hard, red to reddish-purple lump on the face or upper neck.
• Weight loss.

What does Actinomyces look like?

The bacteria are rod-like in shape. Under the light microscope , Actinomyces appear fungus-like. They are thin and joined together to form branching networks. Bacteria of this genus retain the primary stain in the Gram stain reaction, and so are classified as being Gram positive.