The lobes are necrotic, friable and often contain purulent exudate or even abscesses. The fluid may be dirty-yellow and have a fetid odor. A dark hemorrhagic band of 2 to 3 millimeters may separate the two zones. There are often necrotic cavitations containing purulent exudate or necrotic debris. Because of the presence of the organism in normal animals, diagnosis cannot be made by culturing the organism without the signs and lesions.
Differentiation is important because treatment of pasteurellosis and mycoplasmosis is different.
10 Penicillin and sulfamethazine are approved for treatment by injection and sulfamethazine is approved for oral administration. However, oxytetracycline and the long acting sulfonamide, sulfadimethoxine are also effective against the organism. The major limitation in using these antimicrobial drugs comes from the very short but severe course of the disease. It is difficult to detect, diagnose and treat before the severe necrotizing tissue changes occur. However, in an outbreak, an alert herdsman can detect additional new cases early.