- Blackleg is an acute, febrile, highly fatal, worldwide disease of cattle and sheep caused by Clostridium chauvoei and characterized by emphysematous swelling and necrotizing myositis that commonly affects large muscles (clostridial myositis)
- Blackleg is an acute, highly fatal disease of cattle and sheep caused by Clostridium chauvoei. In cattle, characteristic lesions of emphysematous swelling of the musculature often develop without a history of wounds. In contrast, the disease in sheep is almost always the result of a wound infection after shearing cuts, docking, castration, and similar. The disease is highly fatal. Control is via administration of a multivalent vaccine containing antigens for multiple clostridial organisms.
- Usually, onset is sudden, and a few animals may be found dead without premonitory signs. Acute, severe lameness, more commonly affecting the hind legs, and marked depression are common.
- Characteristic edematous and crepitant swellings develop in the hip, shoulder, chest, back, neck, or elsewhere. At first, the swelling is focal, hot, and painful.