Open AccessPathological findings in African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) in South Africa
Author(s) -
Daniel B. Woodburn,
Johan Christian Abraham Steyl,
Elizabeth C. Du Plessis,
Björn Reininghaus,
E Lane
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of the south african veterinary association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.535
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 2224-9435
pISSN - 1019-9128
DOI - 10.4102/jsava.v92i0.2117
Subject(s) - population , rift valley fever , disease , veterinary medicine , medicine , transmission (telecommunications) , cause of death , tuberculosis , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , outbreak , environmental health , electrical engineering , engineering
The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is an iconic species of South African megafauna. As the farmed buffalo population expands, the potential impacts on population health and disease transmission warrant investigation. A retrospective study of skin biopsy and necropsy samples from 429 animals was performed to assess the spectrum of conditions seen in buffaloes in South Africa. Determination of the cause of death (or euthanasia) could not be made in 33.1% (136/411) of the necropsy cases submitted due to autolysis or the absence of significant lesions in the samples submitted. Infectious and parasitic diseases accounted for 53.5% (147/275) of adult fatal cases and non-infectious conditions accounted for 34.9% (96/275). Abortions and neonatal deaths made up 11.6% (32/275) of necropsy cases. Rift Valley fever, bovine viral diarrhoea, malignant catarrhal fever, tuberculosis, bacterial pneumonia, anaesthetic deaths, cachexia and hepatotoxic lesions were the most common causes of death. The range of infectious, parasitic and non-infectious diseases to which African buffaloes were susceptible was largely similar to diseases in domestic cattle which supports concerns regarding disease transmission between the two species. The similarity between diseases experienced in both species will assist wildlife veterinarians in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in captive African buffaloes. The present study likely does not represent accurate disease prevalence data within the source population of buffaloes, and diseases such as anthrax, brucellosis and foot and mouth disease are under-represented in this study. Hepatic ductal plate abnormalities and haemorrhagic septicaemia have not, to our knowledge, been previously reported in African buffaloes.