Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia

Affected animals normally have generalised signs such as depression, dullness, weakness and lethargy, pyrexia and weight loss and decreased production. They will also have respiratory signs including bilateral nasal discharge, dyspnoea, tachypnoea and coughing. Occasionally the only sign seen is sudden death. Typical pathological lesions are very suggestive of the disease – they are localised exclusively to the lung and pleura. Lungs are normally a port wine colour and abundant pleural exudate and pleuritis and adhesions are common. The pleural exudates may have solidified forming a gelatinous covering. Histological examination of the lung tissues may show acute serofibrinous to chronic fibrino-necrotic pleuropneumonia with neutrophilic inflammation in the alveoli, bronchioles, interstitial septae and subpleural connective tissue. ==Diagnosis==

The simplest procedure for 'in field diagnosis' is the detection of antibodies by latex agglutination (LAT) as it is quick and simple to run, and has a long shelf-life. Other procedures used for diagnosis include growth inhibition disc tests (GI), direct and indirect fluorescent antibody tests, complement fixation tests (CFT), indirect haemagglutination test (IHA), ELISA, and PCR. These have varying degrees of efficacy. Isolation of M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae from clinical samples is the only way to definitively diagnose the infection but it is not normally performed as it is time consuming and difficult. == Treatment and control ==

Macrolides, tetracyclines, and quinolones are active against M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae. Disease incidence is reduced by good hygiene and husbandry practices. Movement restrictions and slaughtering infected animals are recommended for countries that are newly infected. ==See also==