Doenças diagnosticadas em ovinos no sul do Rio Grande do Sul, no período de 1977 a 2024

Abstract

Sheep farming is an important economic and cultural activity in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, ranking as the third-largest sheep herd in Brazil. Given this, there is a need to identify and clarify the main diseases affecting the species to address issues and minimize losses in the industry. The objective of this study was to report the primary diseases affecting sheep in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul over a 48-year period. Necropsy records and samples from sheep submitted to the Regional Diagnostic Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Federal University of Pelotas (LRD/FV/UFPel) were reviewed from January 1977 to December 2024. During this period, 2,947 sheep samples were received, with 62.2% (1,833/2,947) collected between 1977 and 2000 and 37.8% (1,114/2,947) between 2001 and 2024. Regarding the diagnoses, diseases caused by parasitic agents were the most prevalent, accounting for 55.58% (1,638/2,947) of cases. In 25.35% (747/2,947) of cases, the samples were deemed inconclusive. These cases, along with their epidemiological data, were presented in the first article. In the second article, a case of septicemia caused by Escherichia coli in an adult Corriedale sheep was described.