Lesions in the Skin of Cattle Associated to Hairy Vetch Consumption (Vicia villosa)

Authors

  • Amaro Francisco Viero Silveira Setor de Patologia Veterinária (SPV), Faculdade de Veterinária (FaVet), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Welden Panziera Setor de Patologia Veterinária (SPV), Faculdade de Veterinária (FaVet), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Susy Hermes de Sousa Setor de Patologia Veterinária (SPV), Faculdade de Veterinária (FaVet), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Bianca Santana Cecco Setor de Patologia Veterinária (SPV), Faculdade de Veterinária (FaVet), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Claiton Ismael Schwertz Setor de Patologia Veterinária (SPV), Faculdade de Veterinária (FaVet), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Aldo Gava Departamento de Clínica e Patologia, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Lages, SC, Brazil.
  • David Driemeier Setor de Patologia Veterinária (SPV), Faculdade de Veterinária (FaVet), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Luciana Sonne Setor de Patologia Veterinária (SPV), Faculdade de Veterinária (FaVet), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/1679-9216.80782

Keywords:

bovine disease, skin lesions, Vicia villosa, histology, immunohistochemistry.

Abstract

Background: Hairy vetch (Vicia spp.) is a high-protein source forage to cattle. The poisoning is clinically characterized by a systemic granulomatous disease, which causes dermatitis, diarrhea, decreased milk production and weight loss. The specie of hairy vetch related to systemic granulomatous disease in cattle is Vicia villosa. This work aims to describe the epidemiological, clinical, gross, microscopic and immunohistochemistry features of the skin lesions caused by the consumption of V. villosa in cattle affected by the systemic granulomatous disease.

Materials, Methods & Results: A retrospective study of necropsy and biopsy exams performed between the period of 2005-2016 aiming for cattle with systemic granulomatous disease after consumption of hairy vetch was carried out in the archives of the Setor de Patologia Veterinária from the UFRGS. Epidemiological data included the sex, age, and breed of the animals affected. Gross and microscopical lesions, in addition to the immunohistochemistry anti-T lymphocytes (CD3), anti-B lymphocytes (CD79a), and anti-macrophages (CD68) features, were evaluated. The histological lesions and immunohistochemistry staining were quantified in mild (+), moderate (++), and severe (+++). The diagnosis of systemic granulomatous disease with skin lesions after consumption of Vicia villosa was observed in eight cattle. All animals were females, with  5-8 year-old (average 6.6 years), Holstein Friesian cattle (7) and Jersey (1) breeds. These cattle had a clinical history of severe pruritus, anorexia, apathy, decreased milk production, weight loss, and hyperthermia. Grossly, lesions were characterized by alopecia (8/8), crusts (7/8), lichenification and seborrhea (2/8), and exudative lesions (2/8), and involved the head (7/8), limbs (5/8), neck (4/8), trunk (4/8), perineum area (3/8), udder (3/8), and tail (3/8). Histology revealed a mild to moderate inflammatory infiltrate (7/7), composed by lymphocytes (7/7), macrophages (7/7), occasional eosinophils, and rare multinucleated giant cells (1/7). It was also classified in mild to severe perivascular dermatitis (7/7), mild to moderate perifolliculitis (4/7), superficial dermatitis (3/7), moderate to severe mural folliculitis (2/7), and hidradenitis (1/7). Another findings were moderate apocrine sweat gland ectasia, mild to moderate orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, mild to moderate spongiosis, mild to moderate acanthosis, mild to severe serocellular crusts, mild pigmentary incontinence, mild to severe Munro’s microabscesses, mild to moderate hydropic degeneration, apoptosis, ulcers, mild to moderate superficial edema of the dermis, variable epitheliotropism and erosions.  Immunohistochemistry of all skin sections had mild to severe staining for T cell (CD3), mild staining for macrophages (CD68), and immunostaining was rare (4/7) or absent (3/7) for B cells (CD79a).

Discussion: Cutaneous lesions observed in this study were similar to those previously described by other authors for this condition, and were characterized by focal to coalescent areas of alopecia, lichenification and seborrhea, associated clinically to a severe pruritus. Histologically, these consisted of perivascular dermatitis, and perifolliculitis with an inflammatory infiltrate composed predominantly by lymphocytes, macrophages, with occasional eosinophils and multinucleated giant cells. Immunohistochemistry demonstrates a marked immunostaining for T cells, while it was mild for macrophages, which reinforces the involvement of the delayed type hypersensitivity (type IV) reaction in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Barros C.S.L., Fighera R.A., Rozza D.B., Rech R.R., Sallis S.V. & Langohr I.M. 2001. Doença granulomatosa sistêmica em bovinos no Rio Grande do Sul associada ao pastoreio de ervilhaca (Vicia spp.). Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira. 21(4): 162-171.

Blowey R.W. & Weaver A.D. 2011. Integumentary disorders. In: Color Atlas of Diseases and Disorders of Cattle. 3rd edn. Philadelphia: Mosby Elsevier, pp.29-51.

Fighera R.A., Souza T.M. & Barros C.S.L. 2005. Lesões de pele em bovinos com doença granulomatosa sistêmica associada ao pastoreio de ervilhaca (Vicia spp.). Ciência Rural. 35(2): 406-411.

Gava A. & Barros C.S.L. 2007. Intoxicação por polpa cítrica. In: Riet-Correa F., Schild A.L., Lemos R.A.A. & Borges J.R. (Eds). Doenças de Ruminantes e Equídeos. v.2. 3.ed. Santa Maria: Pallotti, pp.98-102.

Harper P., Coock R.W., Gill P.A., Fraser G.C., Badcoe L.M. & Power J.M. 1993. Vetch toxicosis in cattle grazing Vicia villosa spp dasycarpa and V. benghalensis. Australian Veterinary Journal. 70(4): 140-144.

Johnson B., Moore J., Woods L.W. & Galey F.D. 1992. Systemic granulomatous disease in cattle in California associated with grazing hairy vetch (Vicia villosa). Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 4: 360-362.

Kellerman T.S., Coetzer J.A.W., Naudé T.W. & Botha C.J. 2005. The skin and adnexa. In: Plant Poisonings and Mycotoxicoses of Livestock in Southern Africa. 2nd edn. Oxford: University of Oxford, pp.288-289.

Odriozola E., Paloma E., Lopez T. & Campero C. 1991. An outbreak of Vicia villosa (hairy vetch) poisoning in grazing Aberdeen Angus Bulls in Argentina. Veterinary and Human Toxicology. 33(3): 278-280.

Panciera R.J., Mosier D.A. & Ritchey J.W. 1992. Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) poisoning in cattle: Update and experimental induction of disease. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 4: 318-325.

Sonne L., Raymundo D.L., Boabaid F.M., Watanabe T.T.N., Oliveira L.G.S., Vaz Jr. I.S. & Driemeier D. 2011. Achados patológicos e imuno-histoquímicos em bovinos com doença granulomatosa sistêmica pelo consumo de Vicia villosa (Leg. Papilionoideae) no Rio Grande do Sul. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira. 31(4): 307-312.

Tokarnia C.H., Peixoto P.V., Barbosa J.D., Brito M.F. & Döbereiner J. 2010. Deficiência de cobre. In: Deficiências Minerais em Animais de Produção. Rio de Janeiro: Helianthus, pp.88-102.

Tokarnia C.H., Brito M.F., Barbosa J.D., Peixoto P.V. & Döbereiner J. 2012. Plantas que causam doença granulomatosa sistêmica. In: Plantas Tóxicas do Brasil para Animais de Produção. 2.ed. Rio de Janeiro: Helianthus, pp.431-436.

Published

2017-01-01

How to Cite

Silveira, A. F. V., Panziera, W., Sousa, S. H. de, Cecco, B. S., Schwertz, C. I., Gava, A., Driemeier, D., & Sonne, L. (2017). Lesions in the Skin of Cattle Associated to Hairy Vetch Consumption (Vicia villosa). Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, 45(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.22456/1679-9216.80782

Issue

Section

Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > >>