BRIEF COMMUNICATION: Development of a visual scoring system for ovine pneumonia at the processing plant

摘要

Pneumonia in sheep is a consequence of multiple infectious agents compromising the host's immune system, often with the aid of environmental factors. Chronic non-progressive pneumonia (CNP) and acute fibrinous pneumonia (AP) are the main concerns to the New Zealand sheep industry. AP occurs in sheep of all ages and is more common in older lambs during the late summer early autumn period. CNP is often seen in lambs aged between five and ten months of age. Clinical diagnosis is difficult with affectedlambs showing few, if any, clinical signs of illness as reviewed by (Alley 2002). Accurate diagnosis requires examination of the lung.