Outbreak of Lungworm Infection in Yearling Sheep- A Case Report

Background: Lungworm infection is commonly called verminous bronchitis or verminous pneumonia; parasitic bronchitis is caused by worms of superfamily trichostrongyloidae. The nematode irritates the lining of the airways in the lungs and causes coughing, loss of body condition and death in extreme cases. During necropsy examination white, long thread-like worms are observed either in the airways or in the form of nodules under the lung surface.
Methods: Postmortem of carcasses of sheep died just after the return from high land pasture. The present report describes a lungworm outbreak in a yearling sheep flock at a sheep farm of Kashmir.
Result: The outbreak was observed in a yearling sheep flock comprising 197 animals including 99 male and 97 females at a sheep farm of Kashmir during the autumn season in November just after the return from high land pasture pastures and shearing. The animals presented symptoms of loss of body condition, severe cough and five deaths were also observed. The post mortem of five carcasses revealed congestion of lungs with bronchioles filled with frothy exudates and worms. The animals responded to treatment with levamisole, which was effective in controlling outbreaks. Therefore, concluded that parasitic infestations are a major threat to livestock production and parasitic infestations demand serious attention owing to their ill effects on animal health and the economy. Further, levamisole is effective in controlling lungworm outbreaks. Therefore, yearling sheep should be drenched levamisole on priority after return from high land pasture and before shearing during the autumn season after conducting fecal sample examination.