CONTAGIOUS OVINE PODODERMATITIS (FOOTTROT) WITH SEPTIC EVOLUTION AND SECONDARY PNEUMONIA: CASE REPORT. YASMIN DO NASCIMENTO VENTURA / Beatriz dos Santos Munaretti - Universidade de Marília (UNIMAR)

Resumo

Contagious ovine pododermatitis, also known as footrot, is an infectious disease of great importance to sheep farming. It is mainly caused by the synergistic action between Dichelobacter nodosus and Fusobacterium necrophorum. While F. necrophorum initially causes inflammation and lesions in the interdigital region, D. nodosus plays a fundamental role in the disease's progression, as it produces enzymes that degrade the horny tissue of the hooves. The combination of these agents intensifies the inflammatory process, favoring tissue necrosis, intense pain, and difficulty in locomotion. Besides directly affecting animal welfare, the disease also causes sanitary, productive, and economic losses to flocks. Its occurrence is mainly linked to environments with high humidity, accumulation of organic matter, failures in the hygiene of facilities, and inadequate sanitary management. Ethical considerations were respected as this was a retrospective study of routine clinical records, authorized by the guardian through the signing of the Informed Consent Form (ICF). A male Texel sheep, approx imately six years old, was monitored. It presented with severe lameness, difficulty walking, and progressive deterioration of its general condition. During the clinical evaluation, laboratory tests were performed, including a complete blood count and serum biochemical profile. The first blood count revealed leukocytosis due to neutrophilia with a non-graded regenerative left shift, consistent with an active inflammatory and infectious process. After one week, the second blood count showed improvement in the leukogram, with leukocytosis due to neutrophilia without a left shift, but with evident thrombocytosis. The serum biochemical evaluation did not identify significant alterations. Despite therapeutic interventions and continuous clinical monitoring, the animal presented progressive worsening of its clinical condition, evolving into sepsis. Subsequently, respiratory compromise compatible with secondary pneumonia was observed, associated with the animal's debilitated state, which remained for long periods in lateral recumbency due to intense lameness and difficulty walking. The condition was accompanied by marked clinical deterioration and unfavorable evolution, culminating in the sheep's death. The observed findings demonstrate the high capacity for systemic progression of contagious pododermatitis when not adequately controlled, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis, immediate therapeutic intervention, and the adoption of efficient prophylactic measures in breeding systems. Furthermore, this report reinforces the relevance of clinical and laboratory monitoring in evaluating the evolution of the disease and its possible systemic complications in affected sheep.