Terminal ileitis in lambs
Green, L.E.; Wyatt, J.M.; Morgan, K.L.
Veterinary Record 130(6): 121-122
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 1561745 Document Number: 403948
An outbreak of diarrhoea affected 70% of lambs in an early lambing housed flock of 375 crossbred ewes in January 1990. The affected lambs which were 5 to 7 weeks of age, had been provided with creep from when they were 8 days old; the creep had included monensin sodium from when the lambs were 4 weeks of age. Faecal examination revealed 104 to 107 coccidial oocysts per gram with Eimeria crandallis and ovinoidalis species identified. All the lambs were treated with sulfaethyoxypyridazine. At 12 to 14 weeks of age, 3 of the 540 live lambs appeared stunted, showed signs of abdominal stretching, unusual respiration and intermittent diarrhoea. They continued to lose condition and one lamb was killed at 16 weeks, one died at 20 weeks and one at 24 weeks. PM examination of 2 lambs revealed emaciation with pleurisy and pericarditis in one lamb and gross thickening of the terminal ileum with corrugation of the mucosal surface and vascular proliferation on the serosal surface. The terminal mesenteric lymph node was enlarged. Campylobacter coli was the only significant microorganism isolated from intestinal contents; they were negative for nematodes, cestodes and coccidia. Histological examination revealed a thickened inflamed ileum with disrupted villi and focal ulceration of mucosa. Lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils infiltrated all layers of the intestine. No campylobacter, cryptosporidia, mycobacteria or coccidia were detected. This is the first report of terminal ileitis in the UK. The aetiology of the disease has not been determined.