Ovine pneumonia

Authors: Davies DH
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 25, Issue 10, pp 297, Oct 1977
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Bacterial, Notifiable organisms/exotic disease, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Pneumonia/pleurisy, Respiratory system
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: Alley and Clarke suggest that “the evidence available does not favour the view that viruses play a major role in the aetiology of pneumonias” on the basis of the negative evidence that inclusion bodies were not observed in their investigation and unpublished observations that experimentally induced pneumonias were suppressed by antibiotic therapy. However, recent investigations in New Zealand and elsewhere have shown that infection with a number of different types of virus can predispose lambs to bacterial pneumonia although specific virus-induced lesions are not usually visible at post-mortem. These viruses are adenoviruses, parainfluenza virus type 3 and reovirusesr. Experimental virus infections will allow a low and otherwise innocuous dose of P. haemolytica to cause pneumonia in lambs. Nevertheless, the hosts` defences can be overcome by large doses of bacteria alone or suspensions of diseased lung tissue given by aerosol or the intratracheal route…

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