SUPPURATIVE PNEUMONIA IN AN ORGANIZED SHEEP FARM - DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES

A disease outbreak in lambs occurred in an organized sheep farm located in Siddarampuram village, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, during the winter season (November 2022 to February 2023). Out of a total of 68 lambs born, 12 lambs (17.64%) succumbed within a week, exhibiting clinical manifestations including sudden death, nasal discharges, frothy mouth discharges, fever, shivering, inability to walk, weakness, prostration, and respiratory distress. Gross and post-mortem examinations revealed the lungs as the major affected organs, displaying vascular changes and severe pneumonic alterations with pus discharge, indicative of a septicemic nature of the disease. Escherichia coli was isolated from the collected pus and tissues during the post-mortem examination. The study postulates that a sudden environmental change, coupled with cold stress, frost, and poor ventilation, likely exposed the lambs to E. coli septicemia, predominantly affecting the respiratory system. To address the mortality, amikacin was administered following antibiotic sensitivity tests. This approach successfully checked the spread of the disease. The findings highlighted the significance of environmental factors in disease outbreaks and emphasize the importance of targeted antibiotic treatments for effective control of an outbreak.