Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ค๐ญ๐!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ค๐ญ๐ is a virus that causes ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐, or tumours of the lining cells of the lungs. This disease is most commonly seen in Africa, Asia and Europe. Jaagsiekte is the Afrikaans name for this disease, meaning โsheep sicknessโ.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
This disease most commonly affects sheep!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
As mentioned, this is a viral infection! The virus is very helpfully named ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ค๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ. Young animals become infected by contacting the nasal secretions of infected animals. From there, the virus ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ (sits around without doing anything) for up to 2 years in the ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ (lining cells) of the lungs. After incubating, the virus begins to replicate, stimulating epithelial proliferation, leading to a tumour.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Because these lung tumours essentially take up the entire lung, they often interfere with the sheepโs breathing! This can cause ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ (difficulty breathing), ๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ (fast breathing), coughing and nasal discharge. These animals are also predisposed to bacterial infections of the lungs, causing ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐. Eventually, these animals will succumb to their disease.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Because these sheep will often have large amounts of fluid in their lungs, the โ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญโ can be used as a rudimentary diagnostic test. In this test, the sheepโs hindquarters are lifted into the air with their head lowered, causing large amounts of fluid to pour out of their nose. Weird. Otherwise, diagnosis can be made by identifying meaty, firm lungs at necropsy.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐? ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment or vaccination method available. Thus, biosecurity is the most important method of prevention. Any animals with disease should be separated from the herd, and any herds with sheep currently or previously affected should not sell their animals to other farms.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-2) The โwheelbarrow testโ for Jaagsiekte.
3-5) Firm, meaty lungs due to the proliferation of epithelial cells. Unlike most tumours, this type of tumour usually doesnโt form distinct masses, since essentially the whole lung has become tumour!
6) What Jaagsiekte looks like on histology. Normally, the lungs are more empty space than cells, which is not the case here!
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Swayne DE. Avian influenza. Merck Veterinary Manual 2021.
Mombeni EG, Chanani Z, Mousavi MB et al. A survey on ovine pulmonary adenomatosis in Khuzestan province, Iran. International Journal of Biosciences 2(11):37-42.
Photos 1-2 ยฉ Mombeni et al.
Photos 3-6 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors King, Clarke, Jakowski licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
