INCIDENCE OF PATHOLOGICAL LESIONS IN ORGA NS OF SHEEP WITH SEROLOGICAL POSITIVITY TO MAEDI-VISNA VIRUS

In the present paper the results are presented of pathomorphological e xamination of 38 sacrificed sheep with positive reactions to the Maedi -Visna disease. Lungs, mammary gland, joints and other organs with mac roscopical lesions were subjected to histopathological examination. Th e CNS was examined by the method of a complete series of frontal secti ons. Diagnostics of M-V typical lesions revealed them in 87 % of the e xamined sheep, in 55.2 % of examined lungs, in 58.6 % of examined mamm ary glands, 27.3 % examined CNS and 4.7 % examined joints. In 57.1 % o f the cases, M-V lesions of the lungs were complicated by simultaneous incidence of pulmonary adenomatosis, chronic purulent or granulomatou s pneumonia. No clinical symptoms were found in a majority of sheep, w hile the M-V typical lesions of organs were not determined in about fi fty percent of sheep. The observed morphological lesions corresponded to initial or medium progressive affection. A proof of precipitation a ntibodies and identification of typical M-V lesions in the organs are needful for determination of M-V diagnosis. Incidence and character of lesions indicate the need of persistant implementation of virus-eradi cation treatments on sheep farms.