ARTHRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH OVINE PROGRESSIVE PNEUMONIA

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 46  (1) , 65-68
Abstract
Chronic nonsuppurative arthritis developed in carpal and tarsal joints of border Leicester sheep that were naturally or experimentally infected with ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP) virus. Clinical signs of arthritis began at 1-6.2 yr of age (1-5.7 yr after inoculation of OPP virus) and slowly progressed in severity until the sheep died or were killed. The joint lesions were characterized by edema, hyperemia, hyperplasia and necrosis of the synovial membrane; by necrosis and erosion of articular bone and by necrosis and fibrosis of subchondral bone; and by extensive periarticular fibrosis. The OPP virus alone was isolated from arthritic joints. In 7 of 14 sheep, the arthritis was associated with interstitial pneumonitis induced by the virus. OPP virus was the cause of arthritis in this group of sheep.