Symptoms. ^q-^ 



Symptoms. The disease commences after a period of incubation of 

 8 to 10 days (Pusch) with fever and catarrh of the air passages (cough 

 nasal discharge, increased vesicular breathing) . After 3 to 5 days the 

 respiration becomes very laborious and on physical examination of the 

 thorax exudative pleurisy or hepatization in a portion of the lung may 

 be established, which as a rule is confined to one side. Subsequently the 

 condition becomes aggravated sometimes rapidly, other times only 

 gradually, and as a rule about one half of the affected animals die. 

 In some animals a herpes-like eruption is observed on the lips, some- 

 times also on the udder, which as a rule heals without interference. 



-The course is at times so rapid that the hepatization of the lungs 

 develops in a few hours and death ensues in from 12 to 46 hours ; mostly 

 however the disease lasts, even in severe cases, from 3 to 4 week's, while 

 in other animals it runs a more chronic course, and the animals,' which 

 in the meantime become greatly emaciated, finally recover. 



The autopsy sometimes reveals only hepatization of a small or 

 larger area of the lung in which there is at the same time an infiltration 

 of the interstitial connective tissue. The cut surface therefore resembles 

 somewhat that of the lungs in contagious pleuro-pneumonia. In other 

 cases, which are more frequent, there is also a sero-fibrinous pleurisy 

 with profuse exudate in the thorax. At the same time the peribronchial 

 lymph glands, and the spleen show acute swelling, while the other 

 organs show no special changes. 



Bacteriological examinations have failed to reveal, up to the present 

 time the presence of micro-organisms, either in the affected lungs or in 

 the pleural exudate. Inoculation of material from the lesions into 

 goats, and also into other animals was entirely negative. This condition 

 differentiates the disease from contagious pleuro-pneumonia of goats 

 (see p. 124) , and also excludes a relationship with that disease. Never- 

 theless the infectiousness of the disease cannot be denied, especially in 

 consideration of the experiences in Germany, and therefore quarantine 

 measures, isolation, and early slaughter of the affected animals, disin- 

 fection of the stables, etc., are fully justified on its appearance. 



Literature. Pusch, D. t. W., 1894, 403.— Storch, B. t. W., 1896, 567.— Holzen 

 dorfE, A. f. Tk., 1896, XXII, 346.— Leclainche, Eev. Y^t., 1897, 1. (Lit.).— Mazziui, 

 Giorn., 1898, 350.— Castelet, Progr. v6t., 1906, 324. 



Chronic Pneumonia of Sheep. According to Eobertson (1904), a 

 disease occurs in South Africa among sheep, known there as Jagziekte 

 (hunting-disease), or Hartslagziekte, which is usually observed during 

 the winter months in the higher altitudes in the Cape Colonies, and is 

 manifested by difficulty in respiration, with flank breathing. The 

 autopsy reveals a chronic catarrhal pneumonia, without tendency to 

 degeneration, caseation or suppuration ; the sharply circumscribed, hepa- 

 tized areas have the appearance of bacon, and are greasy to the touch; 

 in older lesions the connective tissue is increased to such an extent, and 

 is so tough, that it cuts like cartilage. In the later stages the adjoining 

 pleura also appears thickened and adheres to the costal pleura. The 

 affected lung tissue contains half-moon shaped, centrally well-stained, 

 and also cylindrical bodies (supposed to be protozoa?). Attempts to 

 transmit the disease artificially to healthy sheep failed to give positive 

 results. (J. of comp. Path., 1904, XVII, 221.) 



