Archive Case #242: Bovine Thromboembolic Meningoencephalitis

Clinical Clues

1. A feedlot steer becomes febrile and depressed, then develops rapidly progressive neurologic signs.
2. It is ataxic and appears blind; several pen mates recently had respiratory illness.
3. The steer dies, and necropsy reveals multiple small hemorrhagic lesions in the brain rather than a single focal injury.
4. Histology of those lesions shows septic vasculitis, thrombosis and inflammatory tissue damage.
5. PCR on affected brain tissue detects Histophilus somni, linking the organism to the vascular lesions rather than mere airway carriage.
6. Together these findings support bovine thromboembolic meningoencephalitis, historically called TEME.

Diagnosis

Bovine Thromboembolic Meningoencephalitis

Acute feedlot neurologic disease, multifocal septic cerebral vascular lesions and Histophilus somni detected in affected brain support bovine thromboembolic meningoencephalitis. The traditional name persists although local thrombosis is central to its mechanism. Polioencephalomalacia, lead toxicity and listeriosis can cause neurologic signs, but they do not explain this organism-linked septic vasculitis; respiratory exposure alone would be insufficient. Remember: Do not diagnose bovine TEME from a nasal swab or outbreak history alone; demonstrate compatible brain vascular lesions and organism evidence in affected tissue.

Educational Use

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