Pathology of digestive and respiratory tracts disorders in sheep

Thirty ovine carcasses brought for post mortem to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, LUVAS and Central Sheep Breeding Farm, Hisar were investigated for gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts pathology. Mortality was maximum in sheep/lambs of age group 6 months to 1 year. Necropsy revealed varying degrees of congestion in intestine, pancreas, abomasums and liver; consolidation and emphysema in lungs; hard and indurated lymph nodes and necrotic foci on liver surface. Histopathologically, there were desquamation of mucosal epithelium, congestion of mucosa and submucosa in intestine and abomasum, goblet cell hyperplasia in intestine and ulcers in abomasal mucosa. Apart from gastrointestinal tracts congestion was observed also in liver parenchyma, periportal areas, spleen, pancreas, mesenteric lymph node and lungs. Mesenteric lymph nodes revealed depletion of lymphocytes in germinal center of lymphoid follicles and in white pulp. In some cases haemorrhages in periportal area and thrombosis of blood vessel were observed in liver. Cloudy swelling, fatty changes, centrilobular and/or periportal necrosis, bile duct hyperplasia were seen in liver. Lungs showed grey hepatisation, fibrinous pleuritis, serous inflammation, ballooning of alveoli, thickening of interlobular septa with oedematous fluid and deposition of fibrin. Lymphoid aggregates were observed in liver and lungs of selected cases.