An outbreak of Haemophilus agni-Histophilus ovis septicaemia in lambs

Authors: Kearney KP, Orr MB
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 41, Issue 3, pp 149-150, Sep 1993
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant, Sheep
Subject Terms: Bacterial, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Sepsis/infection
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: An outbreak of an acute, highly fatal septicaemia caused by Haemophilus agni-Histophilus ovis (H-H) infection occurred in a group of 700 lambs aged 4-5 months. The clinical signs included dullness, disinclination to move, lameness and death within 24 hours. About 74 lambs died in the course of 4-5 weeks. Five dull, fevered lambs were treated with penicillin-streptomycin or oxytetracycline. They survived but developed chronic polyarthritis and were unthrifty. There were two groups of lambs in adjacent paddocks. All were in very good body condition. The outbreak occurred in one group of 700 ewe and “cryptorchid” ram lambs, and mainly ram lambs were affected. (The “cryptorchid” lambs had had a rubber ring applied to the scrotum below the testes.) In the adjacent group of 600 ewe lambs there were no clinical cases. Necropsies of early cases by the veterinary practitioner showed multiple haemorrhages throughout the carcass, especially in the skeletal muscles and on serosal surfaces…

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