POLIOENCEPHALOMALACIA (PEM)

   Cerebrocortical necrosis (CCN)



Ø Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) is an important neurologic disease of ruminants. Nutritional disorder in sheep and goats.

Ø Species affected- cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and camelids.

Ø Altered thiamine status / high sulfur intake. 

Ø Toxic or metabolic diseases (e.g. acute lead poisoning, sodium toxicosis / water deprivation).

Ø Sporadic disease.

Ø Younger animals more frequently affected.

Ø Thiamine inadequacy caused by decreased production by rumen microbes or factors that interfere with the action of thiamine, eg, plant thiaminases or thiamine analogues.

Ø Thiaminases can be produced by gut bacteria or ingested as preformed plant products. They can either destroy thiamine or form antimetabolites that interfere with thiamine function.

Ø Animals on high-concentrate diets (high levels of sulfur) are at higher risk.

 CLINICAL SIGNS :

v Acute form - blindness followed by recumbency, tonic-clonic seizures, and coma.

v Twitches of ears and face.

v Dilated pupils.

v Anorexia.

v Elevated head (star gazing posture).

v Menace response- absent.

v Bilateral pupillary light reflex- normal.

v Ataxia.

v No corneal opacity.

DIAGNOSIS :

·        Physical examination and typical clinical signs.

 DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS :

v Listeriosis.

v Rabies.

v Acute lead poisoning.

v Enterotoxemia.

v Ketosis.

v Vitamin A deficiency.

v Coccidiosis.

v Pregnancy toxemia.

TREATMENT :

·        Inj. Thiamine @ 10 mg/kg BW IM at 8 hour interval.

·        Inj. Chlorpheneramine maleate @ 0.5 mg/kg BW IM.

·        Inj. Dexamethasone @ 1-2 mg/kg BW IM.

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