Digital dermatitis (Mortellaro's disease) is a highly contagious bacterial infection causing severe lameness in dairy and beef cattle. Prevention and early treatment are critical welfare interventions.
Digital dermatitis causes acute and often severe pain from the highly sensitive skin around the coronary band. A cow with active digital dermatitis avoids weight-bearing on the affected limb, shows pain responses when the area is touched, and has dramatically reduced movement. The chronic form - which develops when early lesions are not treated - is less painful but is a source of infection that perpetuates spread to other animals. Footbathing programmes prevent infection establishment; individual treatment of all active lesions within 48-72 hours of identification prevents progression to painful chronic disease. The welfare investment in systematic footbathing and rapid treatment is measurable.