Necropsy findings and histopathological analysis of a terminal stage ewe from a herd with sudden deaths in Mosul

A three-year-old ewe was received as a terminal stage animal for necropsy in the Teaching Veterinary Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Mosul, on 18/12/2018. The animal was carried alive from the al-Fthilya region in the eastern north of Mosul and expired before hospitalization. Statement of the owner prevailed sudden deaths of healthy animals or a concise course of illness followed by respiratory distress and nervous manifestations and death at 14 mature animals within mortality rate reached 15.5% in the herd. Necropsy findings and histopathological analysis showed that encephalitis included hyperemic cortical blood vessels, severe perineuronal edema, microglial proliferation. The lungs revealed severe pulmonary edema and signs of peracute pneumonia. Liver sections demonstrated congested portal and central veins and lobular sinusoids with centrilobular coagulative degeneration. At the kidneys, we detected both glomerular and interstitial nephritis with severe tubular cell necrosis. We concluded a state of bacterial septic shock, suggesting Pasteurellosis as a probable etiologic factor from the symptoms and pathological examination. The case was reported, and laboratory tests were requested.