Studies on Caseous lymphadenitis in Chinkara Deer (Gazella bennettii), Pakistan

Abstract

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is an important cause of caseous lymphadenitis, a complex, chronic devastating and destructive disease of small ruminants. In present study the postmortem examination of Chinkara deer (n=25) was conducted from April 2012 to April 2013. Pus samples suggestive of caseous lymphadenitis were collected according to standard microbiological procedures from the superficial lymph nodes, liver, spleen and lungs during necropsy for isolation of bacterial pathogens and their molecular analyses. Out of 25 pus samples collected from the carcasses presenting clinical lesions 19 carcasses were infected with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis on the basis of culture characteristics. The frequency of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bacterium was increased in old animals. Grossly, multiple tubercles of variable size having caseous material were observed in liver, lungs, spleen and lymph nodes. Histopathologically, tissue sections from all the visceral organs were extensively plugged with abscess. For confirmation of isolates polymerase chain reaction technique was develop to amplify the specific proline iminopeptidase (PIP) gene present in Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bacterium. The PCR technique developed in present study confirmed 17 isolates

Keywords

• Chinkara deer, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, caseous lymphadenitis, PCR