CASE NOTES
Intradermal gas bubbles in cattle dying of lightning strike
Bruce Watt and Jess Cooke, Central Tablelands Local Land Services, Lou Baskind, Southern Tablelands Local Land Services and Shaun Slattery, North West Local Land Services
Posted Flock and Herd March 2026
INTRODUCTION
This report presents three cases of presumed lightning strike. The first caused the death of multiple cattle (Cooke et al. 2026), while the second and third cases involved single animals. All cases occurred after electrical storms and in the second and third cases, the carcases had linear singe marks, which are pathognomonic for lightning strike (Vanneste et al. 2014). In all cases 1-5 cm intradermal bubbles were discovered from one to five days after death. These intradermal bubbles were often in irregular lines on the inguinal areas, rump, body and neck of the dead cattle.
CASE 1. CENTRAL TABLELANDS OF NSW, NOVEMBER 2024
HISTORY
On 29 November 2024, the second author was called to investigate the death of 43 cows with another 10 found either down or standing, head pressing or walking slowly. Most of the cows were unusually docile but at least one became aggressive. The dead cows were mostly found in proximity to an old windmill and dam and in wet low-lying country.
The affected mob comprised 88 mature Angus cows with three-month-old calves at foot grazing in a paddock of short mixed annual grasses running to head with 50% green (Vulpia, soft brome, phalaris), occasional white and subterranean clover and weed species, including cat's ear and saffron thistles. The cattle had been running in an adjacent paddock in which the trough water had inadvertently been turned off three weeks previously, but they had access to water in a dam over an old netting fence. According to the owner, the Bureau of Meteorology recorded three lightning strikes in this paddock on 28-29 November 2024.
This case is described in more detail in another report (Cooke et al. 2026).
EXAMINATION
The first author examined the carcases on 4 December 2024, five days after most deaths had occurred. Forty-five dead decomposing cows that had been dragged to a central location were examined for surface burns and external lesions. Approximately 10 cows were in a pile and so were difficult to examine (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Case 1. Multiple deaths, carcases gathered for disposal
Almost all cows examined had approximately circular bubbles of raised superficial dermis. These bubbles ranged from 2-20 cm in size and were usually in irregular lines, but some were in groups. Most were on the upper hind legs and inguinal area, but some were on the rump or neck. The skin over these bubbles was dry, paper thin and could be easily broken with finger pressure. No obvious burns and no singed hair were seen.
Figure 2. Case 1. Animal 1. Intradermal bubbles over the perineum
Figure 3. Case 1. Animal 1. Intradermal bubbles on the ventral neck
Figure 4. Case 1. Animal 3. Intradermal bubbles over the hindquarters
Figure 5. Case 1. Animal 10. Intradermal bubbles in the inguinal area
Figure 6. Case 1. Animal 14. This bubble has been broken open demonstrating that the raised skin is superficial epidermis with red dermis below
Figure 7. Case 1. Animal 14. Intradermal bubbles over the rump
Figure 8. Case 1. Animal 15. Intradermal bubbles over the right flank and shoulder
Figure 9. Case 1. Animal 16. Intradermal bubbles over the dorsal neck
CASE 2. SOUTHERN TABLELANDS OF NSW, JANUARY 2025
HISTORY
In January 2025, a four-year-old Angus cow was found dead by the owner on a Monday morning. No other animals in the mob were affected. The owner had last been on the property on the preceding Friday, giving a window of approximately 2.5 days in which death may have occurred. The exact time of death was unknown.
The mob consisted of 75 cows with calves at foot, grazing a mixed native, gently sloping, pasture on coarse sandy loam soil that had been seeded in October the previous year. The paddock was treated at the time of seeding with chicken manure and worm castings. The herd had received a 5-in-1 clostridial vaccination approximately three months prior. Husbandry was low input, with moderate intensity grazing and no supplementary feeding.
CLINICAL EXAMINATION
The third author visited the farm approximately 72 hours post-mortem based on weather data. The herd was examined and found to be clinically normal. Animals were alert, grazing and showed no signs of disease. The mob included cows with June-born calves and a bull.
The dead cow was found in lateral recumbency with limbs extended, neck arched and tongue protruding. There was no evidence on the surrounding ground of paddling or struggle. A subtle linear scorch mark was visible on the cranial aspect of the right hindlimb, extending from the hock to the inguinal area (Figure 10.).
Several large, flat blister-like lesions were present in the groin area, with one raised lesion approximately 2 cm in diameter on the perineum (Figure 11). A purulent-appearing fluid was actively bubbling from the groin lesion. Decomposition was advanced, consistent with microbial activity, and included bloating, odour, gas production and fluid leakage. The degree of decomposition appeared pronounced given the estimated post-mortem interval. Intestinal contents had been expelled under pressure through the anus during putrefaction and the carcass had attracted many flies.
A post-mortem examination was not conducted due to the advanced decomposition. However, the external findings and history were considered sufficient to support a diagnosis of lightning strike.
Figure 10. Case 2. Linear singe mark on the medial aspect of the right hind leg
Figure 11. Case 2. Intradermal bubbles on the inguinal region
CASE 3. NORTHWEST NSW, FEBRUARY 2025
On 12 February 2025, a mature Angus-cross cow, one of a mob of approximately 60 cows and 50 calves, was found dead on the highest point of the paddock the afternoon after a storm. The next day the fourth author received two photographs (below) from the owners. The cow had singed hair on the face, two small intradermal bubbles on the anterior aspect of the elbow joint and three large intradermal bubbles in an irregular line on the right dorsum of the neck. The owners noted that the degree of decomposition appeared pronounced given the estimated post-mortem interval. Lightning strike was considered the most likely diagnosis.
Figure 12. Case 3. Single cow found dead the morning after a storm
Figure 13. Case 3. Intradermal bubbles on the ventral neck
DISCUSSION
The sudden death, absence of premonitory signs and presence of a characteristic linear singe lesions supported a presumptive diagnosis of lightning strike in cases 2 and 3. In case 2, a rain event on the Saturday prior recorded 60 mm of rainfall. The third author, residing in the same district, recalls this event was associated with a thunderstorm, making lightning strike and conduction through wet ground plausible. Weather warnings for that weekend described severe thunderstorms triggering throughout the state in a moist airmass. In case 1, three lightning strikes were recorded in that paddock in a storm the night before, the paddock was waterlogged and an old windmill near the deaths could have acted as a conductor.
We suggest that blister-like bubbles in the dermis may be a feature of decomposition and putrefaction in lightning strike cases. It is posited that disruption of cutaneous tissues by electrical burns may create conditions favourable for microbial proliferation. The gas bubbles observed in these cases were intradermal as opposed to subcutaneous, which are expected in cases of clostridial diseases such as blackleg, and they mostly followed a track as might be expected with electricity running through or over wet skin.
We note that to the best of our knowledge, intradermal gas bubbles after death from lightning strike (or other causes) have not been reported previously in the veterinary literature. As an example, Vanneste et al. (2014) confirmed lightning strike in 194 cases with "pathognomonic singe lesions" occurring in 43% of cases but did not mention intradermal gas bubbles.
In the human health literature, histopathology of skin following high-voltage electrocution burns has demonstrated intraepidermal and subepidermal separation, forming multiple small cystic spaces within the epidermis. We wonder if these spaces may become sites of microbial invasion, potentially contributing to the formation of bubble-like lesions during decomposition (Byard RW 2023, Al-Safi A 2008 and Uzun I et al. 2008).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We sympathise with the owners of cattle for their loss and thank them for so willingly co-operating in our investigations.
REFERENCES
- Cooke J and Watt B (2026) Lightning strike deaths and neurological signs in cattle www.flockandherd.net.au
- Vanneste E, Weyens P, Poelman DR, Chiers K, Deprez P and Pardon B (2015) Lightning related fatalities in livestock: Veterinary expertise and the added value of lightning location data The Veterinary Journal 203 pp 103-108
- Suddes H and Neef A (2007) Sudden death in White Suffolk rams www.flockandherd.net.au
- Watt B (2012) A case of presumed lightning strike www.flockandherd.net.au
- Shankar R and Braddon E (2015) Lightning strike in the Riverina www.flockandherd.net.au
- Watt B (2017) Are linear singe marks pathognomonic for lightning strike in cattle? www.flockandherd.net.au
- Parkinson TJ, Vermunt JJ, Malmo J and Laven R (2019) Editors. Diseases of Cattle in Australasia. A comprehensive textbook, pp 1084-5
- Byard RW (2023) Lichtenberg figures—morphological findings Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology 19 pp 269-272 doi.org
- Al-Safi A (2008) Forensic histopathological approach to electrocution Journal of the Faculty of Medicine, Baghdad 50(3) pp 358-364 doi.org
- Uzun I, Akyıldız E, and İnanıcı MA (2008) Histopathological differentiation of skin lesions caused by electrocution, flame burns and abrasion Forensic Science International 178 pp 157-161 doi.org