Around 70 cattle have died in Odisha’s Kendrapada district recently, with the chief district veterinary officer attributing most of the deaths to amphistomes, or rumen flukes disease, locally known as ‘Kurmi’.
About Rumen Fluke:
Rumen flukes are parasites of ruminants and occur worldwide.
They have a snail intermediate host.
The adult parasites live in the rumen (stomach), and the immature larval forms live in the small intestine.
They have been associated with significant disease (paramphistomosis) in tropical and subtropical countries.
The disease is due to intestinal damage caused by massive numbers of larvae in the intestine.
Transmission: Through ingestion of contaminated water or vegetation carrying larval stages.
Symptoms:
Key signs of rumen fluke disease are severe diarrhoea, rapid weight loss, and swelling under the jaw, known as “bottle jaw”.
It includes reduced milk yield and curdling and significant loss in body mass despite the animal’s willingness to eat.
The disease can be treated with targeted anthelmintic medicines. Anthelmintics are medications used to eradicate parasitic worms (helminthes).
Management requires proper grazing and pasture control.
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