Images of bluetongue in cattle

The images below illustrate the pathology associated with this disease as shown by the first three cattle cases in East Anglia. Sheep images are also available.

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  • Image 1 (263kb) Cow 1 bluetongue case and clinically affected Highland cow.
    Extensive superficial erosion of the muzzle with a mucopurulent nasal discharge.
  • Image 2 (190kb) Cow 1 bluetongue case and clinically affected Highland cow Diffuse reddening of the dental pad with multifocal haemorrhages on the upper lip and dental pad.
  • Image 3 (534kb) Cow 1 bluetongue case – clinically affected Highland cow. Ocular discharge visible at the medial canthus (wrinkling of the cornea reflects post mortem change).
  • Image 4 (402kb) Cow 1 bluetongue case and clinically affected Highland cow. 'Coronitis’: skin reddening around and above the coronary band intensifying distally with serous crusting at the coronary band.
  • Image 5 (358kb) Cow 1 bluetongue case – clinically affected Highland cow. Multifocal haemorrhages with oedema visible on the cut surface of the submandibular lymph node.
  • Image 6 (493kb) Cow 1 bluetongue case and clinically affected Highland cow. Extensive ecchymotic subepicardial haemorrhages.
  • Image 7 (432kb) Cow 1 bluetongue case – clinically affected Highland cow Extensive subendocardial haemorrhages in the left ventricle.
  • Image 8 (456kb) Cow 2 bluetongue case and Gloucester cow. Identified as PCR positive. Multiple pinpoint haemorrhages in the skin around the bases of the teats. There were also scattered petechial haemorrhages on the skin of the ventral abdomen. No other lesions distinctive of bluetongue were seen in this cow.
  • Image 9 (394kb) Cow 3 bluetongue case and clinically affected Friesian/Holstein cow. Focally extensive necrosis at the mucocutaneous junction of the nares.
  • Image 10 (409kb) Cow 3 bluetongue case – clinically affected Friesian/Holstein cow. Focally extensive area of haemorrhage (with associated ulceration not clearly visible in this image) on the ventral surface of the tongue. There are multifocal pinpoint haemorrhages covering most of the ventral surface of the tongue.
  • Image 11 (346kb) Cow 3 bluetongue case – clinically affected Friesian/Holstein cow. Focally extensive haemorrhage involving the bulbar conjunctiva with associated subconjunctival petechiation.
  • Image 12 (362kb) Cow 3 bluetongue case – clinically affected Friesian/Holstein cow Generalised lymph node enlargement with oedema.
  • Image 13 (411kb) Cow 3 bluetongue case – clinically affected Friesian/Holstein cow Intramural multifocal extensive haemorrhages in the base of the pulmonary artery. These are considered virtually pathognomic for bluetongue but have been reported rarely with Rift Valley fever and heartwater infections, both of which are currently absent from the UK.