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Antigenicity
- The virus cannot be grown in culture, although it can be seen by EM on tumor cells of infected sheep
Pathogenesis
- Causes a proliferation of alveolar lining cells, producing massive amounts of fluid
- Proliferative foci project into alveoli and bronchi and from slow-growing tumors
- Death occurs between 3-4 years of age
Clinical signs:
- Low exercise tolerance
- Gradual weight loss
- Dyspnoea
- Coughing
- Nasal fluid discharges during wheelbarrow test
- Secondary bacterial infection by Pasteurella hemolytica often precipitates death
- PM reveals fawn-gray tumor (for more see here)
Epidemiology
- Found in 25% of pneumonia cases in Scotland
- Absent in USA, common in UK
Diagnosis
- Electron microscopy on lung biopsy
Control
- Cull clinically affected animals