Veterinary case
Three lambs die from a rare lung infection
⚠️ This information is provided for awareness only and does not replace an examination by a veterinarian.
🤖 Summary produced automatically from the scientific publication cited at the bottom of the page.
Three young free-range sheep died from pneumonia caused by a bacterium rarely seen in sheep.
What happened?
Three four-month-old free-range lambs on a family farm in China began showing nasal discharge, then developed high fever, loss of appetite, and general weakness. A local veterinarian examined them and noticed difficult breathing with abnormal lung sounds. Based on the clinical signs and a blood test showing infection, he diagnosed a bacterial respiratory disease and treated the sheep with an antibiotic for three days. Despite treatment, all three animals died.
What did the vet find?
At necropsy, the lungs were the only affected organ: they were hardened in places and filled with pus, with purulent discharge around the nose. Laboratory tests identified a bacterium called Enterobacter hormaechei, a germ usually found in humans and rarely linked to disease in sheep. Microscopic examination of the lungs showed severe inflammation with thickened alveolar walls, damaged bronchial cells, and mucus buildup. No other bacteria, virus, or fungus was found, confirming this bacterium as the cause of death.
What did the vet do?
ℹ️ Treatment given to THIS animal, decided by its veterinarian. It is not a prescription: never apply it without veterinary advice.
The veterinarian treated the sheep with an antibiotic commonly recommended for respiratory disease in sheep, given for three days. Tests done after the animals died showed that the bacterium was actually resistant to this type of antibiotic, which explains why the treatment failed.
What happened next?
All three lambs died despite treatment, the first one three days after injections began, and the other two shortly after. Examinations confirmed that lung infection by this resistant bacterium was the cause of death.
Advice for the farmer
When young lambs show severe respiratory disease that does not respond to the usual treatment, it is important to send samples to a laboratory quickly to identify the exact germ and choose the right antibiotic.
Source
- Source
- PubMed Central
- Title
- Case report of enterobacter hormaechei in sheep with respiratory disease and death.
- Authors
- Shi H, Wang K, Wang L, Sun S, Li B, Yao L.
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12917-022-03157-z
- Licence
- CC BY
