[Clinical findings and diagnostic procedure in a dairy sheep with visna].

Abstract

The goal of this report was to describe the clinical signs and diagnosis of Visna in a seven-year-old East Friesian milk sheep. A striking feature was that the ewe's behaviour changed frequently. At one time, the ewe was somnolent. A few minutes later, the sheep was alert and eating hay. The ewe was thin. It had a slight head tilt and a severe generalised ataxia. Based on the neurological symptoms and chronic weight loss, a tentative diagnosis of visna was made. Serological testing for maedi-visna was positive, and the ewe was euthanised. A postmortem examination was performed, and lung and brain samples were collected aseptically. Cell cultures from these organs were positive for viral enzymatic reverse transcriptase and for maedi-visna RNA.

• Authors: U Braun, D Camenzind, M Meli, J Böni, P Ossent
• Journal: Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde (Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd) Vol. 143 Issue 11 Pg. 550-3 (Nov 2001) ISSN: 0036-7281 [Print] Switzerland
• Vernacular Title: Klinische Befunde und diagnostisches Vorgehen bei einem Milchschaf mit Visna.
• PMID: 11727674 (Publication Type: Case Reports, English Abstract, Journal Article)

Topics

• Animals
• Ataxia (veterinary)
• Behavior, Animal
• Brain (virology)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Fatal Outcome
• Female
• Lung (virology)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (veterinary)
• Sheep
• Visna (diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Visna-maedi virus (isolation & purification)
• Weight Loss