PATHOBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CONTAGIOUS CAPRINE PLEUROPNEUMONIA (CCPP) IN SMALL RUMINANTS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

This study was conducted in selected areas of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa Pakistan, namely northern, central and southern regions, with the objective to determine clinico-pathological manifestation of contagious Caprine pleuropneumonia in field outbreak. The study included isolation and identification of Mycoplasma species from field outbreaks by usage of a selective differentiating hay flick medium, growth inhibition test and a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. Out of 120 inoculated samples, 30% and 22.5% were positive on culture from lungs and pleura. Isolates were identified as Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri by a growth inhibition test and PCR. Similarly, tissue samples that were negative on culture were also subjected to PCR analysis. Out of 120 samples 62.5% and 54.16% from lungs and pleura, respectively, were positive. On statistical analysis, a significant difference (P<0.05) was found between results of PCR and culture. This difference reflects that the PCR technique is more sensitive than the culture method. Based upon these findings, disease was prevalent in almost all selected regions of province. The predominant clinical findings include pyrexia, nasal discharges catarrhal initially turned into mucopurulent in the advance stage, excessive lacremation, unilateral and bilateral conjunctivitis with corneal opacity, painful cough, dysponia, weakness, reluctant movement, extended neck, abduction of the elbow and diarrhea. The majority of animals presented pathological lesions in the form of consolidation and marbled appearance of lungs with fibrinopurulent membrane on pleural surface. Straw colored pleural fluid was present in pleural cavity with pleural adhesion, hydro pericardial fluid in pericardial sac, necrotic foci on surface of the liver and pus in the pelvis of kidneys. Histopathological lesions revealed emphysema, atelactasis with interstitial and bronchopneumonia and thickening of interlobular septa with extensive infiltration of polymorph nucleated cells. It was concluded that CCPP is caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies capri in all the three region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Keywords: Contagious Caprine pleuropneumonia, growth inhibition test, Mycoplasma mycoides Capri