Perinatal lamb mortality in Western Australia: 5. Vibrionic infection.
Vibrionic abortion was diagnosed in sheep on 48 occasions between 1963-65 and 3 of these were associated with other major abortion pathogens. The outbreaks were scattered throughout the agricultural area of Western Australia. Time-of-death of 91 infected lambs was: ante-parturient death 50.5%, parturient death 13.2% and post-parturient death 36.3% (deaths occurring immediately after death 28.6%, deaths delayed after death 2.2%, and late post-parturient death 5.5%). The majority of lambs had gross lesions, mainly subcutaneous oedema and excess fluid and fibrin in the serous cavities. The characteristic gross liver foci were present in 37.4% of the infected lambs examined. Seven lambs with signs of starvation had liver lesions: necrotic foci (6) and hepatomegaly (1); Campylobacter fetus subsp. intestinalis was recovered from the liver and/or gall bladder of each of the lambs. Epizootiological observations were reported including outbreaks under hot semi-arid conditions.
D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001315:Australia; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000662:veterinary*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*