ANIMAL HUSBANDRY.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17585, 14 December 1928, Page 2

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY.

DISEASE IN SHEEP. GASEOUS LYMPH-ADENITIS. (By the Department of Agriculture.) The condition known as caseous lvmph-adenitis, found in sheep, is characterised by the formation of abscesses In certain of the lymphatic glands (commonly known as "kernels) in the body. The glands become en larged when the abscesses are forming and when cut into in the earlier stages a quantity of greenish-coloured pus ("matter") is found present. As the abscesses get older this pus becomes converted into a cheesy-looking material. . Lymph-adenitis is present in New Zealand to a limited extent, but it shows indications of spreading; bene-: it is specially necessary for sheepowners to lake all known precautious to prevent it. In Australia, Argentine, and Uruguay It is evidently very widely distributed, and recently the British authorities imposed some restrictions upon imported mutton from these couhtries on account of this trouble. The abscesses may be found in lambs and hoggets, though aged ewes are most commonly affected. In lambs becoming affected a condition of pleurisy is sometimes set up. Lymph-adenitis occurs in all breeds of sheep, and it is a matter of economic importance that sheep- owners lake precautions to prevent, as far as possible, the spread of infection. There is very little evidence to show that the disease may be caused through ingestion of food or water contaminated with the organism which is the cause of the disease. As the abscesses arc more frequently found in the

•'kernels" situated in the upper regions of the limbs this fact would suggest that the most common mode of entry of the organish is through accidental inoculation of wounds. This view is supported by work carried out at the Wallacevillc Laboratory, where more or less typical lesions have been set up by the experimental inoculation of skin wounds; nance it is necessary that careful precautions be taken to prevent infection of wounds accidentally made during shearing and crutchlng. It is customary where blades are used to frequently dip the blades in a reliable antiseptic, and this should always be done. J eyes' fluid or lysol in strong solution, or kerosene, are recommended for the purpose. It is most important that all wounds should be at once dressed with a similar solution, or else have a little tar applied to them. If this precaution were carefully and efficiently observed in every case it would be of the greatest value in assisting towards preventing the setting up of lymphadenitis in Hie sheep which have sustained the wounds, and also in helping to prevent Ihu spread of the disease generally. It has not been absolutely proved that infection is present in the surface soil of yards and of their immediate surroundings; sufficient circumstantial evidence exists to warrant giving the advice that wherever the trouble s known to be present among the sheep on any property it will be a wise and desirable precautionary measure to either saturate the soil of the yards with a strong antiseptic solution —say, one part of non-poisonous dip to twenty parts of water—or, what It better still, and more thorough, to remove the whole of the surface soil for a depth of at least nine inches and replace it by fresh, clean soil, such as couid be obtained by excavating into a hillside.

The dressing of all wounds seen at shearing time is a very necessary precaution. This fact is brought to the notice of the Department from time to lime when losses occur from bloodpoisoning after shearing. Any extra labour involved' is therefore worth the trouble ia reducing (he prevalence of lymph-adenitis; and, secondly, as a preventive of blood-poisoning. That ewes are more commonly affected may be due to the fact that they aro more often exposed to infection of wounds liable to be caused during shearing and crutching.