PREVALENCE OF OVINE PROGRESSIVE PNEUMONIA IN A SAMPLING OF CULL SHEEP FROM WESTERN AND MIDWESTERN UNITED-STATES

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (12) , 2091-2093
Abstract
Ovine progressive pneumonia was prevalent in many major sheep-producing areas in the USA. The incidence was determined in a sampling of cull sheep (5-10 yr of age) at slaughter. Diagnostic criteria were based on finding viral-specific immunoglobulins, virus or lesions. Each method indicated a high incidence in samplings from midwestern and northwestern states and a relatively low incidence in the sampling from southwestern states. Of those sheep examined, precipitating immunoglobulin to the causal virus was seen in 1.0-67.5%, virus was isolated from the lungs of 0-46.2%, and lymphoid hyperplasia was seen in the lungs of 0-38.5%. The most common lesions in the lungs (from which virus was isolated) were multiple lymphoid nodules and increased fibromuscular tissue.