meningitis - by Dr G Saritha M.V.Sc,S.V.Vu

 Encephalitis is an inflammatory condition of brain
caused from invasion by an infectious agent and
includes inflammation of nervous tissue or vessel wall.
It is characterized by irritational signs followed by
sings of loss of nervous function.
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DEPT.OF VETY.MEDICINE,C.V.Sc.,PRODDATUR

Viruses like
 rabies,
 pseudo rabies,
 Japanese B encephalitis,
 bovine malignant catarrh,
 sporadic bovine encephalomyelitis,
 hog cholera,
 African swine fever,
 Equine infectious encephalomyelitis,
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 borna disease,
 scrapie,
 louping ill,
 visna,
 viral caprine leucoencephalomyelitis,
 western encephalitis of dog,
 infectious canine hepatitis,
 canine distemper,
 herpese canis encephalitis
 and parvoviral encephalitis.
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Bacterial agents like
 listeria,
 necrobacillus,
 haemophilus,
 enterotoxaemia,
 salmonella
 and erysipelas.
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Parasites like
 migratory larvae,
 multiceps multiceps
 and coccidiosis
Fungal agents like
 cryptococcosis,
 coccidiomyces,
 histoplasma,
 blastomyces,
 aspergillus
 and mucor sp.
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 Ricketsial agent - toxoplasma
Toxic agents like
 lead,
 arsenic,
 salt poisoning,
 ipomia plant, etc.
 Trauma,
 vaccinations,
 allergy,
 old dog encephalitis and infections spreading from eyes,
nasal sinus and external ears are also probable causes.
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 Virus invasion causes death of neurons while bacteria
and certain viruses (e.g. bovine malignant catarrh and
sporadic bovine encephalomyelitis) affect principally
vasculature.
 Virus may enter the nervous tissue by progressive
peripheral nerve trunk (e.g. rabies, pseudo rabies and
listeria monocytogenes).
 Entry of infectious agents can also occur via olfactory
nerve.
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DEPT.OF VETY.MEDICINE,

 Encephalitis is invariably associated with systemic
signs like fever and its attendant signs of anorexia and
depression.
 Initially there is a period of excitement or mania which
comprises viciousness and uncontrolled activities like
blind charging, bellowing and pawing.
 Later, it is followed by mental depression including
head pressing.
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 The usual irritational signs include
 convulsions,
 Nystagmus,
 photophobia,
 champing of jaws,
 **salivation
 and muscular tremors of face and limbs.
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 champing of jaws, salivation and muscular tremors of
face and limbs.

The signs of loss of nervous functions may vary from
 paresis with knuckling at lower limb joints,
 spasticity of limbs
 with resultant ataxia to complete paralysis.
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 Deviation of head,
 circling,
 abnormalities of posture,
 ataxia and in coordination
occur more commonly as residual
signs after recovery from acute stage.
 In Listeriosis, there is unilateral facial paralysis
 while in pseudo rabies and scrapie, par aesthesia and
hyper aesthesia occur. Ataxia video
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ATAXIA
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 There is no gross lesions of CNS but, lesions of other
organs specific to the disease can be seen.
 Histological lesions vary with the type and mode of
action of causative agent
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 Diagnosis depends to a great extent on the recognition
of clinical signs of specific encephalitides.
 History and clinical pathology are important in
poisoning cases.
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Encephalitis should be differentiated from
 acute cerebral oedema,
 focal space occupying lesions,
 poisonings,
 hypovitaminosis A,
 hypoglycaemia,
 Encephalomalacia
 and meniningitis.
 Encephalitis and meningitis are commonly associated
with fever and toxaemia, while it is not so with other
conditions.
 CSF analysis will reveal increased cell count in meningitis.
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 Treatment to the specific agent should be given.
 If there is fever, antipyrogens like analgin
(cattle & horse 10-30 gm and dog & cat 0.5 – 2.5 gm
i/m or iv) or
 paracetamol (cattle & horse 1.5-3.0 gm i/m and dog &
cat 0.75 – 1.5 gm orally bid) are to be administered.
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 Hyperthermia due to tremors or seizures can be controlled
by cold water application, ice packs or alcohol baths.
 In case of convulsions, anticonvulsants
Dog:
phenobarbitone 1.5 – 5 mg/kg i/v, 1-1.5 mg/kg i/m, 2.2 – 6.6
mg/kg orally;
phenytoin 50 mg/kg/day in two divided doses orally;
sodium valproate 60 mg/kg orally tid) are indicated
while sedation
(diazepam 2-5 mg tid) is done during excitement stage.
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 Corticosteroids
betamethasone or dexamethasone :
cattle & horse 10-30 mg,
sheep & goat 2-5 mg,
dogs & cats 0.25 – 0.5 mg i/m or i/v;
prednisolone 1% soln:
cattle & horse 0.5 mg/kg or 10-20 ml i/m,
dog& cats 1-3 ml i/m help in recovery of the case.
 The symptomatic treatments should be followed until
the disappearance of the clinical signs.
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 Specific treatment to poisonings is necessary.
 In case of lead poisoning,
calcium versenate (calcium di sodium EDTA) as 6%
solution @ 1 ml/kg/day in divided doses of two to three
times daily and
thiamine hydrochloride @ 2mg/kg s/c may be given.
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 In cases of arsenic poisoning,
sodium thio sulfate 15-30 gm in 100-200 ml of water i/v
followed by oral dosing of 30-60 gm at 6th hourly intervals is
indicated.
BAL (2,3, dimercapto propanol) is efficient antidote for
organic arsenical poisoning.
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 Recumbent animals should be frequently turned
to prevent decubital ulcers and passive congestion of
lungs.
 There may be need for expression of bladder and use
of suppositories to prevent constipation.
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 Meningitis is inflammation of meninges and occurs
due to bacterial or viral invasion of central nervous
system.
 It is seen most commonly as a complication of a pre-
existing disease and clinically manifested by fever,
cutaneous hyperaesthesisa and rigidity of muscles
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Septicaemia in young animals caused by
 streptococcus,
 coliform
 and Salmonella infections,
 strangles in horses,
 Listeriosis,
 haemophilus,
 pasteurellosis,
 Leptospirosis,
 tuberculosis,
 pseudomonas aeruginosa mastitis of cattle and goats,
 Erysipelas.
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 Cryptococcus and Actinomyces sp. in horses
 and Mycoplasma mycoides in goats
are the common bacterial
agents associated with the disease.
 Infections take place through haemotogenous route.
 Most cases of viral encephalitides also cause
meningitis.
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Direct extension of infectious agents may occur from
 fracture of skull,
 osteomyelitis,
 spinal cord disc protrusion,
 sinusitis,
 otitis,
 cauterization during dehorning
 and haemorrhage into sub-arachnoid space.
 Metastasis or embolic showers to CNS in case of left sided
endocarditis are also probable causes of meningitis.
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 The pyogenic bacteria cause inflammation around
nerve trunk as they pass across subarachnoid space.
 The inflammatory swelling interferes with blood
supply to brain and spinal cord.
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 Inflammation of meninges also affects drainage of
cerebrospinal fluid and associated signs of increased
cerebrospinal fluid pressure develop.
 Thus, the clinical signs appear to be related to
irritation of spinal nerve roots and neurons of cerebral
cortex and to hydrocephalus.
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 Acute meningitis develops suddenly and is
accompanied by anorexia, fever and toxaemia in
addition to nervous signs.
 Vomiting is common in early stages in pigs.
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Nervous signs include
 generalized hyperaesthesisa,
 trismus,
 Opisthotonus,
 rigidity of neck and back leading to refusal to lower
the head to eat
 and disturbed consciousness varying from excitement
or mania (in early stages) to drowsiness and coma (in
later stage).
 Blindness is common in cerebral meningitis.
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 Young animals suffer from ophthalmitis with
hypopyon.
 Pupillary light reflex is much slower than normal.
 Examination of fundus may reveal oedema of optic
disc, congestion of retinal vessels and exudation.
 Respiration is usually slow and deep.
 However, Cheyne-Stokes or Biot’s respiration is
often observed.
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 Meningitis in farm animals is usually diffuse involving
particularly brain stem and upper cervical cord.
 However, it may also be localized involving one or
more cranial or spinal nerve.
 In such case, localized muscle tremor, hyperaesthesia
and rigidity are noticed.
 The affected muscles are board like on palpation.
 Anaesthesia and paralysis may develop caudal to
meningitis area.
 Clinical signs of the specific aetiology are also seen.
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 Macroscopically, meninges are thickened with
hyperaemia and haemorrhages.
 On microscopic examination, infiltration of tissue by
neutrophils and lymphocytes is seen.
 Additional morbid changes specific to the cause may
also be seen.
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 History and clinical signs are important in detecting
the disease.
 There is neutrophilic leukocytosis of peripheral blood.
 Cerebrospinal fluid is turbid, and has tendency to clot.
 It contains high protein (20-270 mg/dl),
 increased cell count (>100 neutrophils/ m l)
 and normal (80% of blood level) or
 decreased (less than 50% of blood level) glucose levels.
 Bacteria may be seen on gram’s staining.
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Meningitis should be differentiated from
 encephalitis,
 acute cerebral oedema,
 spinal cord compression,
 cervical inter vertebral disc protrusion,
 hypoglycaemia
 and hypomagnesaemia.
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 Treatment of meningitis is difficult due to which high
mortality rate is observed.
 Antibiotics in large doses for several days
intravenously or into cisterna magna or lumbosacral
space are given.
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 Chloramphenicol :
 Cattle and Horse – 2-4 mg/kg iv bid, 20-40 mg/kg bid
im;
 Sheep and Goat – 10 mg/kg iv bid, 30-40 mg/kg im bid;
 Dog - 25-50 mg/kg iv, im, oral, bid
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 Tirimethoprim – Sulfa :
 Large Animals - 30 mg/kg iv, im, oral, bid
 Dog - 15 mg/kg iv, im, oral bid
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 Ampicillin :
 Cattle, Horse - 5-10 mg/kg/iv, im, tid
 Sheep and Goat - 5-10 mg/kg iv, im, tid
 Dogs - 10 mg/kg iv, im, tid ; 20 mg/kg tid orally
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 Cefotaxime : Dog - 25-50 mg/kg/day iv in divided
doses
 Cephaloridine : Dog - 15-30 mg/kg/day/i/m or iv in
divided doses
 Enrofloxacin : Dog - 5mg / kg once daily
 Corticosteroids are used to combat deleterious effect
of inflammation as outlined earlier.
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 Muscle relaxants (glyceryl guaiacolate @ 90mg/kg as
10% solution in 5% dextrose) and anaesthesia,
anticonvulsants, supportive therapy with intravenous
fluids, antitoxin or toxin (immunization) and specific
monoclonal antibodies are also used to manage the
affected cases.
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THANK YOU
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meningitis - by Dr G Saritha M.V.Sc,S.V.Vu

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