A Case of Johne's disease in A Herd of Boran Cows at The Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract

An alert six year old Boran cow with a history of longstanding profuse diarrhea and progressive loss of body condition of unknown cause was euthanized for diagnostic investigation by autopsy. At the autopsy major lesions observed included an excessive thickening of the small intestinal mucosa presenting as multiple folding of the mucosa into closely packed transverse rugae. Histopathology demonstrated a heavy infiltration by epithelioid and giant cells as well as lymphocytes in the intestinal mucosa and submucosa.  In addition aggregates of acid fast bacilli were demonstrated in the same epithelioid and giant cells. These findings are compatible with lesions characteristic of Johne’s disease. This is the first report on Johne’s disease in Boran cows in Tanzania