We observed a total of 102 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) from March to July of both 1991 and 1992 in Stutsman County, North Dakota (USA) durimig an experimnenst with food 8 May'. We detected no correlation between locations of animals found dead of rabies and dates of death.

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An 18-month-old male pygmy goat was submitted to the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy. It had a generalized seborrheic skin condition and, during the 2 weeks prior to death, had become listless and had been losing body condition.At necropsy, the goat had a generalized seborrheic dermatitis with alopecia. The skin was greasy and had a severe scaly to scabby appearance. The goat was in fair body condition.Microscopic examination of hematoxylin and eosin (HE)-stained skin sections showed marked hyperkeratosis with parakeratosis of the epidermis. There also were numerous extensive foci of polymorphonuclear leukocytes aggregated in the hyperkerototic debris (Fig. 1). A few mononuclear inflammatory cells were sprinkled in the dermis but the major inflammatory changes were confined to the stratum comeum of the epidermis. No ectoparasites or mycotic organisms were detected in the skin sections. The renal corticomedullary junction vasculature showed infiltrates of leukocytes that were predominantly neutrophilic. There also were leukocytic casts and very few randomly scattered oxalate crystals in the medullary tubules. The liver showed mild centrilobular hepatoFrom the

Abstract. The role of viruses in the etiology of recurrent upper respiratory disease in newly weaned lambs was studied during 1984-1985 at the North Dakota Sheep Experiment Station. Serum samples collected from lambs at weaning, from lambs with signs of respiratory disease, and 3 weeks following the onset of clinical signs were tested for antibodies to ovine adenovirus (OAV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Parainfluenza type-3 virus (PI-3). Virus isolation studies were performed on nasal secretions samples taken at the same time. Parainfluenza type-3 was isolated from 1 of 275 lambs tested, and there was 2.5% overall 4-fold increase in antibody titer to PI-3 during the 2-year study. An adenovirus with a different restriction endonuclease digestion pattern from that of previously reported adenovirus strains in the United States was isolated from 13 of 275 nasal secretions collected from lambs at the time of weaning. There was a 17.6% overall 4-fold increase in seroconversion to the adenovirus isolated from the lambs with clinical disease.Ovine respiratory disease, an acute infectious disease of feedlot and nursing lambs, is characterized clinically manifested by a persistent nonproductive cough with occasional conjunctivitis and rectal prolapse. Rectal by nasal discharge, coughing, dyspnea, depression, and prolapse is associated with long periods of recurrent fever 16,20 and pathologically by pneumonitis and pleu-coughing. The condition is associated with a high morritis l8 Because of the high incidence in all countries where animal agriculture has developed, ovine respibidity and low mortality.To understand further the cause(s) of this upper reratory disease causes serious economic loss to the sheep spiratory problem, two major objectives were develindustry.1,8 These losses result from death reduced live oped as a part of this 2-year study: 1) identification of weight, delayed marketing, unthriftiness among sur-any viral agent that might be involved in the upper vivors, and cost of treatment.respiratory problem by collection of nasal swabs from Ovine respiratory disease has been the greatest single weaned lambs at different time intervals and 2) esticause of death among feedlot lambs in the western and mation of the occurrence of viral agents in the lamb midwestem United States? Although adult sheep are population through a serologic survey for antibodies susceptible, nursing lambs and feedlot lambs have a to RSV, PI-3, and OAV. higher incidence of respiratory disease than older animals. Respiratory disease is usually predisposed by physical stress. 1,16,20 Ovine respiratory disease in young lambs appears to result from a complex of infectious agents including chlamydia, 3 mycoplasma, 21,22 Parainfluenza type-3 virus (PI-3), 10,13 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), l ovine adenovirus (OAV), 2,4,11,14 and Pasturella spp. l,7 Although both Pasturella multocida and P. hemolytica are primary causes of pneumonia and death in feedlot lambs, P. hemolytica is associated more often with enzootic pneumonia and...