Dr. Hida Khan, Dr. Madhu Swamy, Dr. Yamini Verma, Dr. Amita Dubey
Gid is an infectious neurological disease associated with metacestodal larva that commonly occurs in winters. Coenurus cerebralis is the larva of Taenia multiceps worm. The worm resides in intestine of the dog and lays its eggs inside the intestine of Dog, eventually the eggs comes out in the environment through the faeces of the Dog. The goats that are in association with Dogs or are in an environment that is contaminated by the faeces of the Dogs are the most susceptible once. It can affect other herbivores as well as the carnivores including Monkey and Humans. Migration of larva in the body of the goat leads to serious illness and restlessness due to affection in the Central Nervous System.
The larvae wanders in the body before localizing in the body causes formation of cyst in the brain. In the small intestine of goats, the oncosphere hatches from an egg and travels through the intestinal wall, primarily reaching the CNS via the bloodstream, where it encysts and matures over several months into an infective Coenurus. The metacestode may also develop and mature in subcutaneous, intramuscular tissues and peritoneal areas as well as in organs such as the heart and lungs of sheep and goats. The larvae in the body gets adhere to the tissues and form the cyst.The cyst is usually fluid filled clear whitish in colour.
Symptoms that follows are;
- Ataxia,
- Incordination,
- Nodding of head,
- Pressing of head against the wall,
- Keeping the head in opisthotonous
position,
- Circling motion
Surgical treatment is recommended in case of Coenurosis.
MANAGEMENT
- It is advised to bury the faeces of dogs in soil that is the primary source of contamination in the pasture.
- Anthelmintic treatment of dogs at regular interval.
- Dogs should not be fed on raw offal of slaughtered animals.