PATHOLOGICAL LESIONS IN THE FOETUSES OF SHEEP AFFECTED WITH RIFT VALLEY FEVER

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Dept. of Pathology, Faculty of Vet. Med. Assiut University

Abstract

Ten aborted foetuses and one foetus from a dead animal from a sheep flock infected with Rift Valley fever were subjected to patholo gical study. Macroscopically, autolytic chan ges of the internal organs were evident. His topathological studies revealed findings con sisted of diffuse necrotic changes in the liver, presence of exudate and foreign subs tances in the alveolar spaces and oedema of the alveolar septa in the lungs and degenera tive changes in the heart and kidneys. Acido philic intranuclear inclusion bodies were found frequently in the hepatic cells and are suggested to be of a diagnostic significance. It is concluded that impairment of the foetal circulation associated with hepatic destruc tion lead to death of the foetus in the ute rus after being infected with the virus from the mother.