Findings at cows originating from dairy herds with chronic wasting disease

Since Spring 1999, a number of dairy farms have reported problems with wast ing in cattle. After calving, the physical condition of the cows deteriorat ed for reasons unknown. Chronic wasting is also associated with disorders s uch as lameness, abortion, endometritis, mastitis, and respiratory problems . Between April 1999 and March 2000, 19 cows were sent to the Faculty of Ve terinary Medicine for further investigation of the chronic wasting. Clinica l and pathological investigations resulted in a broad range of diagnoses su ch as mastitis, abomasal displacement, and claw disorders. The latter, char acterised severe laminitis, were predominant and could explain a number of secondary symptoms. (inflammation of the bursa, metastatic processes). Ther e were no clear consistent changes compatible with a certain agent, with th e exception of one case in which a virus was shown to be the causative agen t. The results indicate that wasting disease is not a distinct entity but i s characterized by a broad range of diseases in which acute laminitis may b e the original problem. The disease profile of chronic wasting disease is v ery similar to that of 'concrete disease' described by Rebhun in 1995.