Rain and windchill as factors in the occurrence of pneumonia in sheep

Treatment and control of respiratory disease in sheep

Respiratory diseases in sheep result in poor live weight gain and mortality, thus causing considerable financial losses for lamb producers. The disease is also an important animal welfare concern. Respiratory diseases in sheep and goats often result from adverse weather conditions and physiologic stress combined with viral and bacterial infections. It is essential to critically assess clinical diagnostic methods, treatment options, and control measures for the common respiratory diseases affecting sheep.

Avoiding hypothermia, an intervention to prevent morbidity and mortality from pneumonia in young children

Observations and experiments in animals and human beings grant plausibility to the hypothesis that hypothermia is a risk factor for pneumonia. Exposure of body to cold stress causes alterations in the systemic and local defenses against respiratory infections, favoring the infection by inhalation of pathogens normally present in the oropharynx. Neonates and young infants with hypothermia have an increased risk of death; however, there is no strong demonstration that hypothermia leads to pneumonia in these children. Studies that properly addressed the problem of confounding variables have shown an association between cold weather and pneumonia incidence. Probably the strongest evidence that supports the plausibility of the hypothesis is provided by the controlled comparison between patients with traumatic brain injury treated with hypothermia and those treated under normal body temperature. The association between exposure to cold and pneumonia is strong enough to warrant further research focused in young children in developing countries.

Effect of meteorological variables on the incidence of respiratory tract infections

OBJECTIVE

The possible effect of the various meteorological variables on the incidence of upper and lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) has intrigued the scientific community for decades.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis regarding the association between meteorological variables and clinical data for upper and lower RTIs in the area of Attica, Greece.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant (P<0.001) negative correlation between weekly average temperature with the proportion of weekly house call visits resulting in a diagnosis of upper or lower RTIs 4 days later (R=-0.56 and -0.71 for upper and lower RTIs, respectively) as well as 7 days later (R=-0.57 and -0.71 for upper and lower RTIs, respectively) and during the same day (R=-0.55 and -0.68 for upper and lower RTIs, respectively). In addition, there was a negative correlation between weekly wind chill average (and minimum) temperature as well as a positive correlation of relative humidity with upper and lower RTIs. In contrast, there was no significant correlation between wind speed and upper or lower RTIs.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that house call visits due to upper and lower RTIs increased as the average temperature in the area of Attica decreased.

Ecological effects of climate fluctuations

Climate influences a variety of ecological processes. These effects operate through local weather parameters such as temperature, wind, rain, snow, and ocean currents, as well as interactions among these. In the temperate zone, local variations in weather are often coupled over large geographic areas through the transient behavior of atmospheric planetary-scale waves. These variations drive temporally and spatially averaged exchanges of heat, momentum, and water vapor that ultimately determine growth, recruitment, and migration patterns. Recently, there have been several studies of the impact of large-scale climatic forcing on ecological systems. We review how two of the best-known climate phenomena-the North Atlantic Oscillation and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation-affect ecological patterns and processes in both marine and terrestrial systems.

An epidemiological study into risk indicators for Pasteurella haemolytica related 'summer pneumonia' in lambs in the southern Netherlands

Risk indicators for Pasteurella haemolytica related summer pneumonia in lambs in The Netherlands were investigated using a mail questionnaire survey of 860 flocks. The response rate was 64% (n = 550). Multivariate risk analysis indicated that taking sheep to sheep fairs, the purchase of sheep and/or lambs, the lack of possibility for indoor housing, and an increased flock size were associated with increased risk of occurrence of summer pneumonia in lambs of the home flock.