Seasonal incidence of enzootic pneumonia and its effect on the growth of lambs

Abstract

Extract

Enzootic pneumonia is one of the commonest diseases of sheep in New Zealand and may affect most young sheep in the late summer to autumn period during their first 2 years of life. The disease is usually subclinical or accompanied only by coughing. Outbreaks of very severe pneumonia in some flocks may result in deaths but such outbreaks are uncommon. Pneumonia accounted for 9% of deaths of adult sheep in a survey by Davis (1974) in Hawke's Bay and a slightly higher incidence from this cause was reported from a smaller King Country survey by Pyke (1974).