title: Serum troponin I as an indicator of myocarditis in lambs affected with foot and mouth disease.
abstract: Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hooved livestock and wildlife results to relatively high mortality in young animals. Despite the numerous reports of FMD-related death in neonates, there is little data available on various aspects of FMD in lambs. This report describes myocarditis associated with FMD in five, one week to three months old lambs. The lambs were depressed and afebrile and two of lambs showed foamy salivation associated with shallow ulcers in oral cavity. Electrocardiography (ECG) revealed sinus tachycardia, multifocal ventricular premature beats and ventricular fibrillation. Serum biochemistry showed high levels of troponin I concentration and CK and AST activity. In Pathology, there were multiple pale areas in the subepicardial and subendocardial muscles and; widespread degeneration and coagulative necrosis of myocardium. The serum troponin I assay and ECG can be used for diagnosis of myocarditis and prognosis of affected lambs during FMD outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran;
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Aslani
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran;
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohri
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Movassaghi
keywords: Foot and mouth disease; Lambs; Myocarditis; Serum troponin I