Articles

Small ruminants (sheep and goats) are prone to a wide range of bacterial pathogens which become localized to the skin, lymph nodes and deeper tissues. The most important ones include Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, the causative organism of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) and Staphylococcus aureus, a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen, which causes skin infections, lymph node abscessation, and mastitis. Although both are Gram-positive and can result in the development of abscession, C. pseudotuberculosis is a chronic granulomatous infection that is often characterized by chronic infection and loss of economy, whereas S. aureus is an acute suppurative infection usually accompanied by virulence factors like enterotoxin production and antibiotic resistance. This paper summarizes the pathogen biology, clinical disease, epidemiology, molecular virulence, host immune interactions, diagnostic features, challenges of treatment and control of disease, and provides similarities and critical differences in the importance of disease management in small ruminant populations.