Ovine pneumonia

Authors: Clarke JK, Alley MR
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 25, Issue 12, pp 401-402, Dec 1977
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

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

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Abstract: We wish to record our complete agreement with the views expressed by Dr D. H. Davies, who has recently stated in these columns that ovine pneumonia is likely to resemble the pneumonias of other species in being a disease of complex aetiology. Regrettably however, his reference to our discussion on the possible role of viruses in the aetiology of chronic ovine pneumonia was incomplete, and out of context, so that a wrong impression of our views may have been gained by some readers. It should be clear that the type of pneumonia discussed in our article was of the chronic or subacute variety which is so commonly encountered in lambs aged 6 to 9 months throughout New Zealand. This pneumonia is non-progressive and pathologically resembles the “atypical”pneumonia described in sheep in Scotland. While there is no doubt that parainfluenza virus type 3 (PI3) and Pasteurella haemolytica may interact to produce pneumonia, the disease produced is usually an acute fibrinous pneumonia of the “Pasteurella” type…

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