New infection with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis reduces wool production.
The effect of natural Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection on wool production and quality in sheep was examined in light of evidence that artificial C pseudotuberculosis infection causes wool production loss. A toxin ELISA was used to identify sheep that had been infected with C pseudotuberculosis. Greasy and clean fleece weights and fibre diameter were compared in infected and uninfected sheep. C pseudotuberculosis infection caused a 3.8 to 4.8% decrease in greasy wool production and a 4.1 to 6.6% decrease in clean wool production. C pseudotuberculosis infection did not affect fibre diameter. The effects of caseous lymphadenitis (the disease caused by C pseudotuberculosis infection) cause an annual loss of about $17 million in wool production to the Australian wool industry.
Paton
M W
MW
Avon Districts Agriculture Centre, Department of Agriculture, Northam, Western Australia.
Rose
I R
IR
Hart
R A
RA
Sutherland
S S
SS
Mercy
A R
AR
Ellis
T M
TM
Dhaliwal
J A
JA
D000003:Abattoirs; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016925:Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015994:Incidence; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014935:Wool / Q000254:growth & development*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial