302 ACUTE GENERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



show marked pathological changes. There are in such only 

 the symptoms of a severe pneumonia and cachexia. 



Symptoms. — In the acute form, which usually lasts two to 

 five days, or even a shorter period, there are symptoms of a 

 severe feverish disease. The lambs are very dull, stupid, 

 refuse to eat, show increased thirst, dyspnea, colic symptoms, 

 and twitchings of the muscles. The temperature is often 

 105.8° F. 



In subacute cases the animal may live one to three weeks, 

 during which time it shows symptoms of fever, poor appetite, 

 and languor, with mucopurulent discharge from the eyes and 

 nose In some instances there are symptoms of pleuropneu- 

 monia; in others enteritis with a discharge of a yellowish- 

 green, later darker colored, fetid feces. In some cases nodules 

 and also ulcers are noted on the mucous membrane of the lips 

 and cheeks. Caries of the teeth may occur. The lips, cheeks, 

 and tongue are swollen and cyanotic. In rare instances 

 ulcerous keratitis has been observed. The lambs are very 

 weak and die under symptoms of cachexia. In rare instances 

 after a long time improvement follows. Complete recovery 

 is, however, rare. As a rule the animals are stunted by 

 chronic pneumonia and resulting cachexia. 



The chronic form is seen usually only in adult sheep. 

 Sometimes it develops from the acute form. The symptoms 

 are those of a severe, chronic pneumonia. The sheep cough, 

 show dyspnea, moderate mucopurulent nasal and eye dis- 

 charge, and gradual emaciation. In some cases there develop 

 swellings of the carpal and tarsal joints and purulent inflam- 

 mation of the hoof matrix. In most cases, however, the 

 symptoms are those of a general cachexia. 



In some districts in which this infection prevails, coinci- 

 dentally animal parasitism is associated with the disease 

 (strongyls, tapeworms, liver flukes) . 



Diagnosis. — The acute cases might be confused with an- 

 thrax. However, the normal spleen, absence of gelatinous 

 blood extravasations, and hematuria usually suffice for dif- 

 ferentiation. Subacute and chronic cases so much resemble 

 the lung and stomach-worm plague of lambs that differentia- 

 tion would be very difficult provided parasites were found, 



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