The Veterinary Record, Vol 147, Issue 3, 72-75
Copyright © 2000 by British Veterinary Association

Epidemiological and microbiological study of an outbreak of infectious keratoconjunctivitis in sheep

T. Nagli DVM, PhD¹, B. Seol DVM, PhD¹, D. Hajsig DVM, PhD², K. Busch DVM, MS², J. Frey BSc, PhD³, and M. Lojki DVM, PhD⁴

¹ Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Croatia
² PLIVA-Zagreb, Ulica grada Vukovara 49, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
³ Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, Länggasstrasse 122, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland
⁴ Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

After several thousand sheep had been imported from Australia and New Zealand to Croatia during 1995, many native sheep that had been in contact with the imported animals acquired a severe ocular disease closely resembling infectious keratoconjunctivitis. In affected flocks glucose-fermenting mycoplasma were isolated from 48 per cent of conjunctival swabs and Branhamella ovis from 58 per cent. Twelve of 42 culturally and biochemically identical isolates were identified as Mycoplasma conjunctivae by polymerase chain reaction. From the conjunctivae of two animals M conjunctivae and M arginini were isolated in mixed culture. For many reasons most farmers removed the imported animals from their flocks and only sporadic cases of the disease were recognised in 1996. At the end of 1997, six flocks which were clinically free of the disease but had been affected during 1995, and five flocks with no history of the severe ocular disease were examined clinically and microbiologically, and were found to be free of M conjunctivae infection. At the time, B ovis was cultured almost exclusively from sheep originating from flocks which had been affected during 1995 and/or 1996. It was usually isolated in pure culture or as the predominant bacterial species, and was often accompanied by mild conjunctivitis. There were no microbiologically confirmed new cases of infectious keratoconjunctivitis during 1998 and 1999.

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