Caseous lymphadenitis of sheep and goats in Kenya

Abstract

In a survey of caseous lymphadenitis in local sheep and goats in Kenya, 54 of 757 goats (7.13%) and 6 of 378 sheep (1.6%) were found to have one or more abscesses. Abscessation was commonest in the prescapular (68.25%) followed by the precrural (14.28%) lymph nodes. Six abscesses were located subcutaneously close to uninvolved superficial lymph nodes. Histopathology of the abscesses showed granulomatous inflammation. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was isolated from 79.36% of the abscesses in pure or mixed cultures. From 11.1% of the abscesses other microorganisms (Bacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, coliforms, Pseudomonas) while from 9.52% no bacteria were isolated.