Symptoms and Control of Sheep Bluetongue Disease

The incubation period was 3-8 days. The body temperature at the beginning of the disease increased to 40.5 ℃ ~ 41.5 ℃ and stayed for 2 to 3 days. Soon after the increase in body temperature, the performance of anorexia, mental depression, gregarious. Upper lip swelling, edema can be extended to the facial ear, salivation, oral mucous membrane congestion, bluish purple, and then can show lip, gingival, cheek, tongue mucosal erosion, resulting in dysphagia. Oral mucosa is damaged by ulcers, local exudation of blood, saliva is red. Secondary infection can cause local tissue necrosis and oral stench. Nasal purulent secretions, which block ventilation after scabs, can address dyspnea and snoring. The crown of the hoof and the leaves of the hoof are inflamed, limping, walking on the knee, and lying still. Diseased sheep are emaciated, weak, constipated or diarrhoea, sometimes with dysentery and blood. Leukopenia occurs in the early stage. The course of the disease is generally 6-14 days, and the hoof lesions can recover after 6-8 weeks. The morbidity is 30% to 40%, the case fatality rate is 2% to 30%, and the highest is 90%. Most of them die from pneumonia and gastroenteritis. If ewes at 4-8 weeks of pregnancy are infected with live vaccine or immunity, about 20% of the lambs delivered are malformed, such as hydrocephalus, cerebellar hypoplasia, excessive gyrus, and so on.

Prevention and control: ① do a good job of pasture drainage and midge control, adhere to sheep medicine bath, deworming. Strengthen feeding management and do a good job in environmental hygiene. ② is vaccinated every year in the epidemic area of the disease. ③ can be used to treat diseased sheep with sulfonamides or antitoxin.