U. Wernery
Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, P.O.Box 597, Dubai, U.A.E.
ABSTRACT
Corynebacteria are pyogenic bacteria causing a variety of suppurative diseases. The virulence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is attributed to the haemolytic toxin which possesses phospholipase activity and to cell wall lipids. The pathogen causes pseudotuberculosis or lymphadenitis in sheep, goats and camelids, but it is rare in other animal species. The infection is spread via ingestion, inhalation or wounds, and pathognomic for the disease are cold, closed painless abscesses up to the size of a lemon or orange in external lymph nodes especially at the base of the neck and in prescapular lymph nodes. Corynebacteria are sensitive to several antibiotics but the abscess prevents the medication from reaching the bacteria. It is therefore recommended to perform both, surgical and antibiotic treatment. Commercial vaccines are available for sheep and goats, but have not been evaluated for camelids. These vaccines do not provide complete protection against the development of abscesses but a significant reduction in the number of abscesses. After mange Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) remains the most important skin disease of camelids.
Key words: CLA, NWCs, OWCs, pseudotuberculosis, serology, vaccine
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