Post-shearing management affects the seroincidence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in sheep flocks

Associations between the incidence of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in sheep and post-shearing management and environmental factors were examined in a prospective study. CLA incidence was measured in 126 groups of 1- and 2-year-old sheep in 70 Western Australian Becks selected from the prevalence of cull-for-age ewes with CLA lesions at abattoirs. CLA incidence was assessed using a CLA toxin ELISA. Dichotomous and polychotomous stepwise logistic regression methods were compared in examining the effects of management and environment on CLA incidence. Shower dipping sheep for ectoparasite control after shearing increased the odds of high CLA incidence by five to six times and keeping sheep under cover for 1 h or more after shearing increased the odds of being in high CLA incidence categories three-fold. The seroprevalence of existing CLA infection within each age group affected incidence more than did the overall slaughter-based flock estimate. This suggests that CLA spreads mostly within groups of sheep shorn together.