Clinical aspect and location of bovine digital dermatitis lesions in the north, southeast, and south of Brazil

Abstract

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is a disease present in nearly the entire Brazilian territory; however, whether there are clinical differences between different regions in a continental country like Brazil remains unknown. The objective of this study was to observe the prevalence of BDD in five different herds from Paraná (PR), São Paulo (SP), and Pará (PA), as well as to investigate potential regional differences in the location and macroscopic clinical aspects of BDD lesions. Only the pelvic limbs were examined. A total of 171 cattle, representing 342 claws, were evaluated. Among these, 59 BDD lesions were identified, corresponding to an infection rate of 17% of the claws and a prevalence of 34% of cows. BDD was present in all regions, with prevalence rates of 46.7% (PA), 44.4% (PR), and 14.4% (SP). The most observed anatomical site for lesions was the transition from glabrous to hairy skin between the heels. The BDD lesions were classified according to the M system (MSI), with the following distribution: M1 = 15.20%, M2 = 37.28%, M3 = 39.00%, M4 = 5.00%, and M4.1 = 3.40%. Direct palpation caused intense pain in cows with classic ulcerative lesions (M2) and those with chronic lesions featuring an acute lesion focus (M4.1). The prevalence of BDD observed in the different farms reflects similar findings from other studies in dairy cattle. No significant differences were observed in the clinical presentation, anatomical locations, or the origin of BDD lesions across the farms visited.