LEUKODERMA OF THE MUZZLE IN CATTLE INDUCED BY A NEW SPECIES OF STEPHANOFILARIA

Abstract

A strange disease of the muzzle in cattle is present in the Anrami and Ryukyu Islands.It does not seem to have been described in any published papers. The author started studieson this disease, collecting mater"ials from diseased cattle. The following results were obtained.I . In this disease, the muzzle of cattle changed to a white color, accompanied by erosionand itching. Eventually leul<oderrna occurred. These changes were induced only to themuzzle. It appeared that cattle were attacked by this disease at 4 months of age and passedinto chronic state, and the resultant leukoderma concinued for a long time. lhe diseaseoccurs in a greate number of cattle, but in no other anixnals.2. Flistopathological changes were seen mainly in the papillary and reticular layer"s ofthe skin. Infiltratiorn of eosinoplails and round cells and production of granulation tissuewere observed. These lesions proceeded to the epithelium, and eventually tlne muzzlesuffered frotm Ieul<oderrna as a result of disappearance of melanin. Round cells infiltratedinto not only the corium bttt also the tela subcutanea. Some adult worms of nematodesand many rnicrofilariae were observed in lesions of lnistological sections.The cause of this disease was found to be this worm. ?F his lesion was of parasitiedertnatitis and a diagnosis of leukoderma was made to its presence. Leukoderrma dtue toparasitic dermatitis is of great interest.3. Many adult worms and rnicrofilariae were obtained from Iesions by cuttirng the skininto small pieces in a Petri dish filled with normal saline. The female was 7.6 to 9.1 1111111in length, the rnale from 3.2 to 3.9 mm, and the nnicrofilaria 70 to 90 p.Morphological characters are shown in figures. Comparison of principal measurementsin each species is shown irn tables. It is obvious that 1., his worm resembles, 5. dedoesi, S.assamensis, , S. stilesi and .S. kaeli rnentioned in references, although there are some differ"encesbetweerr this worm and the others. Especially characteristic of this worm is its parasitismr