Doença de Aujeszky (peste de coçar)

Resumo

This paper reports studies of 20 cases of Aujeszky’s disease (mad itch) in bovines from various rural establishments in the state of Minas Gerais. To the authors’ knowledge. these data constitute the largest single contribution pub- lished to date relative to this sickness in bovines.

Farmers and ranchers of this state report that mad itch has been frequently observed in oxen (and rarely in sheep and dogs) for approximately 40 years. Clinical diagnoses made by the authors in the field were confirmed by inocula- ton of rabbits, guinea pigs, bovines, swine, canines and fe- lines in the experimental pathology laboratories of the Minas Gerais State University of Agriculture and Veterinary Sci ences.

Clinical studies showed that, in 40% of the cases, the natural course of the disease lasted longer than 48 hours and that there was 10% complete cure, with absence of percep- tible permanent lesions. In view of these results, the authors question the findings of writers who establish 12 to 48 hours as the course of the disease in all cases, especially when this character is used to distinguish between mad itch and rabies (Remlinger and Bailly, 11).

Two cases of natural cure are described in detail, as well as the complete symptomatology of one cow (“Sota”) that died 9 days alter contracting the itch. It is pointed out that no symptoms of aggressiveness or sialorrhea were observed in any of the animals studied, and that all cows attacked were in lactation and gestation periods.

LOCALIZATION: the authors call attention to the cutan- eous parts affected as indicating points of penetration of the virus, listing sites of pruritus observed during the 9 day study of the animal “Sota”, as well as those noted in others that survived for three days or longer. The fact that the greater number of sites observed were localized in the pos- terior parts of the body gives rise to the theory that the vector may be attracted by milk odors or by those of geni- tal secretions.