Clinico-Pathological and Bacteriological Studies on Caseous Lymphadenitis in Small Ruminants

Abstract

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is an intracellular bacterium, proliferates inside the macrophages, causes caseous lymphadenitis in small ruminants and is also responsible for human lymphadenitis. In current study, clinical signs and necropsy lesions suggestive of caseous lymphadenitis were observed in Chinkara deer (n=36), spotted deer (n=04) and Mouflen sheep (n=04) in a period of three years. Different pus samples were obtained from various superficial and internal lymph nodes, lungs, liver and spleen at the time of postmortem examination. All the collected samples were processed for microbiological investigations. C. pseudotuberculosis bacterium was cultured and identified in a total of 33 (75%) animals having clinical and necropsy lesions. The presence of C. pseudotuberculosis infection was significantly higher in older animals as compared to young animals. Morphologically, colonies were brown-yellowish in color, non-hemolytic on 5% sheep blood agar and biochemical characteristics were similar to C. pseudotuberculosis except urea test. Necropsy showed presence of different tubercles containing caseous material in visceral organs such as liver, spleen, lungs and intestinal mesenteric lymph nodes. Microscopically, tissue sections obtained from lungs, spleen, liver and intestinal mesenteric lymph nodes infected from C. pseudotuberculosis were plugged with abscess. The findings of our study indicate that wild animals are a reservoir for zoonotic Corynebacterium.

Molecular Characterization and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Isolated from Sheep and Goats Suffering from Caseous Lymphadenitis

“…These results were in accordance with those obtained by Hatem et al [14] in Egypt and Hassan et al [18] in Saudi Arabia. In contrary, Abdel Wahab and Shigidi [19] reported that C. pseudotuberculosis isolates were highly sensitive to erythromycin and ampicillin.…”

Antibacterial efficacy of Moringa oleifera leaf extract against pyogenic bacteria isolated from a dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) abscess

“…These organisms were previously reported as a cause of camel abscess by Wernery [6], Hassan et al . [7], Wernery [8], Berlin [11], and Wernery and Kinne [12]. The Gram-negative bacteria did not isolate alone in an abscess, but they were associated with Corynebacterium spp.…”

“…[5], Hassan et al . [7], Muckle and Gyles [32], Judson and Songer [33], Zhao et al . [34], and Mohan et al .…”

“…Animals with abscess become anemic and emaciated, due to toxins produced from it, resulting in loss of the animal’s value and decrease in its reproductive and productive efficiency [4-6]. Infected animals had a poor physical condition, decreased fertility and condemnation of carcasses totally or partially at abattoirs [1,7,8].…”

Molecular identification of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in sheep

“…Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis prevalence was reported to be 4.81% in a study conducted in Egypt (Mubarak et al 1999); other studies have reported a prevalence ranging from 0.2% to 90.07% (Al-Gaabary et al 2009). In addition, bacteriological studies have identified C. pseudotuberculosis at rates ranging from 1.1% to 32.6% (Al-Gaabary et al 2010;Hassan et al 2011;Zavoshti et al 2011). Isolation of C. pseudotuberculosis has also been reported as troublesome, depending on the infection stage of the disease, the immune status of the animal, and the presence of other bacterial species in the abscess content (Al-Gaabary et al 2009).…”