Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 23, 2026
13:42
Quantitation of Rabies Virus in Various Bovine Brain Structures
Published on: May 22, 2021
4.0K
Ruminant neurological disease: a retrospective cohort study
Lucy Giles1, Jayne Orr1, Lorenzo Viora1
1School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
The Veterinary Record
|September 7, 2017
Summary
Neurological signs in ruminants were analyzed, revealing abnormal gait as a common symptom. Infectious and inflammatory causes were most frequent, with spastic paresis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and listeriosis being top diagnoses.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Neurology
- Animal Health
- Ruminant Medicine
Background:
- Neurological disorders in ruminants pose significant challenges to animal health and welfare.
- A decade of case submissions to the Scottish Centre for Production Animal Health and Food Safety (SCPAHFS) provides valuable data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the prevalence, clinical signs, lesion localization, and etiological factors of neurological diseases in ruminants.
- To compare the occurrence of neurological disorders in calves versus adult cattle.
- To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical versus postmortem findings.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 96 ruminant cases with neurological signs submitted to SCPAHFS between January 2006 and June 2016.
- Detailed review of presenting signs, neurological examination findings, lesion localization, and etiological diagnoses.
- Comparison of case demographics with the general Scottish cattle population.
Main Results:
- Abnormal gait was the most frequent presenting sign (79%).
- Lesions were most commonly found in the spinal cord (sheep), peripheral nervous system (cattle), and brain (overall).
- Infectious or inflammatory conditions accounted for 28% of pathologies; spastic paresis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and listeriosis were the most frequent diagnoses.
Conclusions:
- Neurological disorders in ruminants present with diverse signs, often localized to the central or peripheral nervous system.
- Infectious/inflammatory etiologies are prevalent, necessitating accurate and timely diagnosis.
- Diagnostic discrepancies between clinical and postmortem examinations highlight the need for integrated diagnostic approaches.
