Pneumonia in slaughtered sheep in south-western Iran: pathological characteristics and aerobic bacterial aetiology

In this study, the lungs of 1,000 sheep carcasses were subjected to gross examination and those suspected to be infected with pneumonia were studied at histopathological level as well as examined for presence of bacteria. Pneumonia was detected in 42 (4.2%) carcasses. Based on histopathological lesions, 45.24% were affected with suppurative bronchopneumonia, 20.93% with interstitial pneumonia, 11.9% bronchointerstitial pneumonia, 7.14% with fibrinous bronchopneumonia and 2.38% with embolic pneumonia. In addition, 11.9% of the lungs showed lung abscesses and 2.33% were affected with pleuritis without involving pulmonary parenchyma. Bacteriological examination revealed presence of ovine pathogens, such as Pasteurella multocida (24.53%), Staphylococcus aureus (20.75%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.09%), Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (7.55%) and Actinomyces pyogenes (1.89%). The most common form of pneumonia was suppurative bronchopneumonia with moderate amounts of fibrin deposits on the pleural surface and inside the bronchioles and alveoli.