Regional enteritis in lambs

Thirty-two lambs with regional enteritis were examined. Eighteen were received alive and examined clinically, while the remaining were dead on arrival. One of the sick lambs recovered without treatment. Occurrence and epidemiology, clinical signs, clinical pathology, necropsy findings, light microscopy, immunoperoxidase studies, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy are reported. The disease was characterised by stretching of the fore- and hindlimbs, ill thrift, intermittent diarrhoea, leucocytosis, thickened ileal wall and hyperplasia of the ileal mucosa. None of the methods applied revealed any causal agents. Possible aetiological factors are discussed.