14
HAEMONCHOSIS
IN
SHEEP
[Vol. XXV, Part I,
H. contortus in the abomasum, duodenum and the small intestines. 'Pimpley gut'
and large numbers of O. columbianum were also evident. The mucosa was found
congested and haemorrhagic. The other signs were peritoneal oedema and anaemia
of tissues. Pneumonic smears failed to reveal specific organisms and the condi-
tion was considered to be secondary. One sheep in extremis was saved by a dose of
'Phenovis'.
Experimental treatment was given to study the comparative efficiencies of (a)
carbon tetrachloride, 1 to 2 c.c. dose on 240 animals, (b) 'Phenovis ', 10 gm. on 900
animals, and (c) one per cent copper sulphate, 50 to 100 c.c. on 50 animals.
RESULTS
Mortality continued in group (a), but may possibly have been due partly to
drug toxicity. In the other two groups mortality was much reduced. The only
water supply for the animals is a deep well from which water is lifted and filled in a
stone trough round the well. One such trough was measured and the volume of
water was determined to which sufficient quantity of copper sulphate was added to
make the solution 0.5 per cent. Instruction were left to keep the other two troughs
empty, so that for about a week all the animals were made to drink only the weak
copper sulphate solution. After a week the trough was emptied. Treatment for
a week checked the mortality to an appreciable extent.
The following factors were clearly realised at the time of observations : (a) the
infestation cannot be cleared effectively by copper sulphate solution for reasons
already discussed, and (b) re-infestation from the limited and over-stocked grazing
area is inevitable, and can be controlled only by routine phenothiazine dosage which,
in these animals of very low economic value, is probably unjustified.
At Maroth, a village near Kuchaman Road station, in a similar outbreak,
suspected to be of rinderpest, the compounder in charge of the veterinary dispensary
used serum but the mortality continued. The symptoms were similar to those
described in this article but post mortem examination showed lesions typical of
rinderpest, including ulcerations and diphtheritic deposits on the lips, tongue,
pharynx and abomasum. To eliminate rinderpest a transmission was done with
spleen from a case and the emulsion inoculated into a goat which showed no re-
action during the following week. When used for goat tissue vaccine-production
after 15 days it reacted typically for rinderpest.
Similar outbreaks with identical symptoms were seen at Kokria, Rohilla in
Jodhpur district, Dudu in Kishangarh district and Tilaunia in Ajmer State. At
Tilaunia also the lesions seen on post mortem examination were similar to those of
rinderpest and, in spite of serum inoculation, the mortality continued. A transmis-
sion with negative results eliminated rinderpest. All outbreaks were controlled by
mass treatment, mostly with ' Phenovis ' only.
Besides these investigations, reports were received from many other places.
Ketri reported ' circling disease '. Some reported rinderpest while others suspected
pleuropneumonia. All histories being suggestive of helminthiasis, particularly
haemonchosis, mass treatment with ' Phenovis' and copper sulphate was recom-
mended which stopped all mortality. Judging from these outbreaks, and from
informations gained from enquiries made, it is obvious that thousands of sheep