ORIGINAL ARTICLES
CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA OF GOATS WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO IMMUNIZATION
By H. S. BAWA, M. R. C. V. S., Director of Veterinary Services, Sind, Karachi
(Received for publication on 16 July 1945)
(With Plates I and II)
ACCORDING to Hutyra and Marek [1938] the earliest record of the disease is by
Thomas in 1873, from Algeria and afterwards the disease was recorded in various
localities of Germany during the years 1894 and 1895. Two years later the disease
was recorded by Mazzmi in Italy. The prevalence of the disease in India has been reported
from different provinces, viz. Sind, Bombay, Punjab, the United Provinces and the
North-West Frontier Province, some 25 years ago. Shirlaw [1939] reports that the
research on this condition was started as early as 19.9. Mettam [1929] and Gilbert
[1937] report the occurrence of contagious pleuro-pneumonia of goats in East Africa
and Palestine. Sporadic research at Imperial Vetetinary Research Institute, Mukteswar,
has been going on for many years, with a view to transmitting the disease, using the
material preserved in glycerine received from the Veterinary Investigation Officers
from field outbreaks; but no transmission experiments were successful, as the material
used to lose its potency during transit. Viswanathan [1935-36] and Bawa [1937-38]
under the research scheme financed by the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research
took up investigation into the incidence of this condition in Madras and Sind res-
pectively.
SYMPTOMS
Affected goats separate from the flock, lie about and are not keen to grazed
Dullness, partial inappetence, discharge from the nostrils which varies in amount an-
viscidity, watery at first becoming mucous later on and finally mucopurulent accoms
panied by cough especially on exertion, and occasional sneezing are the chief symptoms
noticed in natural outbreaks. The appetite is lost and rumination ceases. Rise of tempera-
ture to 106º to 107º is invariably seen in naturally and experimentally affected cases. The
respiration is difficult and accelerated. Later on abdominal breathing is noticed. The
animal stands with its front legs close together, its head and neck stretched forward,
mouth half open showing indications of dyspnoea (Plate I, fig. 1). The bleat
assumes peculiar timbre on which mzidars greatly rely for diagnosis. Auscultation and
percussion reveal consolidation of the lungs. The animal drops down and dies. The
loss of condition, weakness and staring coat are constant symptoms. Generally the
course of the disease is acute and the duration is from three to eight days. There are a few
instances in which animals have remained alive for two weeks and then died. Very rarely
affected animals recover. The outbreak continues for a month or two till the majority
of the animals in the flock die. Abortion up to 20 and 40 per cent is seen among the
naturally and experimentally affected pregnant goats respectively in Sind. Gilbert
[1937] reports that in acute outbreaks in Palestine, abortion is stated to have occurred
in practically all pregnant infected animals. On the basis of experimental transmission,
the incubation period is 11 to 14 days as against 8 to 28 days reported by Longley [1940]
and less than 48 hours by Gilbert [1937] and 4 to 16 days by Mettam [1929].
EPIZOOTIOLOGY
As regards the epizootiology of the disease, it has been observed in Sind that the
disease occurs all the year round, but its incidence is more common during the months