Caseous lymphadenitis

Caseous lymphadenitis has been a prevalent disease among farmed small ruminants in the majority of sheep-rearing countries for over a century. As it is a chronic disease, introduction of control measures in many countries has been slow or absent, resulting in a steady increase in the incidence of the disease. This, in turn, has impacted upon producers with respect to significant economic losses, not to mention issues of animal welfare, through (in extreme cases) chronic ill-thrift, carcase condemnation at abattoirs and reduced wool yields. This short review presents an overview of the current status of research on caseous lymphadenitis, with special reference to transmission of disease, pathology and pathogenesis.