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| Heartwater is diagnosed by making brain smears and finding the causative agent in capillary endothelial cells. |
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
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| Heartwater is diagnosed by making brain smears and finding the causative agent in capillary endothelial cells. |
The differential diagnosis in the early stages when pulmonary edema, hydrothorax, hydropericardium, and petechial hemorrhages are prominent includes heartwater (at least in white-tailed deer), anthrax, sepsis, pasteurellosis, clostridial enterotoxemia, primarily in captive animals, and adenovirus infection in deer.
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When erosions and ulcers are present HD must be differentiated from vesicular stomatitis, bovine virus diarrhea, malignant catarrhal fever, foot and mouth disease, riderpest and peste des petits.
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Severe ruminal ulceration could be confused with severe lactic acidosis.
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Severe gastrointestinal hemorrahge could be confused with heavy metal toxisos.
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Secondary bacterial pneumonia can make the diagnosis of HD difficult.
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In pronghorn where CNS signs may be prominent, polioencephalomalacia and other diseases of the nervous system would need to be included in the differential diagnosis.