Lamb Dysentery

Description

• Clostridium perfringens causes very severe acute haemorrhagic enteritis.
  • Usually affects young farm animals
    • May also be seen in pets.
• Type B Clostridium perfringens infection of lambs leads to lamb dysentery.

• Lamb dysentery is usually seen in lambs under 2 weeks of age.
  • Related to being kept in a cold, dirty environment, with build-up of infection during the lambing season.
• Lambs may produce bloodstained diarrhoea before death, but they often die before this effect is apparent.
• Diagnosed by culturing contents of gut.

Diagnosis

Pathology

• The gut is blown and distended with foamy ,bloody contents.
• Sometimes ulceration with perforation and fibrinousperitonitis is seen.
• Focal or diffuse congestion and haemorrhage

• Coagulative necrosis of villi.
• Oedema.
• Haemorrhage.
• Influx of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria and submucosa.