Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
her lambs nurse. Acute mastitis is treated much like cattle mastitis with antibiotics, frequent
milking, and using anti-inflammatory medicines. Chronic mastitis is also treated with antibi-
otics.
Other diseases affecting sheep
Where the previous section focused on diseases that only affect ewes, several diseases can af-
fect rams and ewes alike. A thin and sickly ewe may be detected at shearing time as the thick
wool hides the signs of a thin or malnourished sheep. Some of these illnesses are chronic
wasting diseases, which can become a flock-wide problem. These diseases can also affect
goats as well.
Border disease: Border disease is a virus that causes disease in lamb fetuses. Other names of
this disease are hairy shaker disease or fuzzy lamb syndrome. It causes abortions, mummifica-
tion, or weak lambs. Lambs with border disease that survive birth are persistently infected and
spread the virus via secretions. The disease is first suspected when the flock begins to lamb;
fewer lambs than expected are born, the lambs that are born are small and hairy, and some
lambs have tremors. There is no treatment or vaccination available. Sick lambs should not be
used for breeding, but it is helpful to expose unbred ewes to these lambs so they can develop
immunity. The ewe will be able to kick the virus out of her system and will pass her immunity
on to her offspring.
Ovine Progressive Pleuropneumonia (OPP): Ovine Progressive Pleuropneumonia is a
chronic, debilitating disease in sheep. Other disease conditions associated with this virus are
polyarthritis, neurological problems, and mastitis. The primary route of transmission is via
lambs ingesting colostrum infected with the virus, but the disease may be passed between
adult animals as well. A less efficient way the virus is spread is through ingestion of contam-
inated food or water or by inhalation of aerosolized virus. Clinical signs are seen in sheep
more than 2 years old. The signs of OPP include chronic pneumonia, rapid or difficulty
breathing, lack of a fever, and a loss of body condition despite good appetite. Pregnant ewes
may have lambs that are weak or small if infected with OPP. There is no treatment for OPP
and no vaccine to prevent it from occurring. Control is based upon testing flocks, culling af-
fected animals, removing lambs from affected ewes before colostrum is consumed, or else
feeding lambs pasteurized colostrum and milk from affected ewes. Pasteurization inactivates
the virus that causes OPP, so it will not cause infection in lambs consuming this type of co-
lostrum.
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