Abstract
ABSTRACT. Alzamora Filho F., Silva F.L., Brasileiro F.C.S., Guedes P.E.B. & Michel A.F.M. [Clinical and pathological aspects of rabies in sheep - Case report.] Aspectos clínicos e patológicos da raiva em ovino - Relato de caso. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária 38(3):222-226, 2016. Departamento de Ciências Agrá- rias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado Km 16, Bairro Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-900, Brazil. E-mail: fafilho@uesc.br The rabies is a neurological disease often reported in ruminants that causes significant economic loss. It is a viral disease affecting several species and has an acute and fatal course. This paper aims to describe the clinical and pathological aspects of sheep rabies in the southern Bahia. The clinical course of the disease was five days and was characterized by apathy, sialorrhea, lateral recumbency, reduction of reflection perineal, prolapsed rectum, ascending paralysis, opisthotonus, convulsion and death. At necropsy there was distention of the urinary bladder and hyperemia of the meninges, and findings consistent with abomasitis. Histopathological findings in the nervous system include discrete lymphocytic inflammation of meninges, perivascular lymphocytic cuffing in nervous tissue of the brain stem and diffuse gliosis. The definitive diagnosis was confirmed by the direct fluorescent antibody test. Immunological tests for rabies are fundamental for the differential diagnosis of other neurological diseases and also in cases where there is absence of intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion by histopathological examination