KIMARYO,STEPHEN JAMES2025-02-192025-02-192005https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6579ThesisA study was carried out to establish the distribution of Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in Iringa, Mpwapwa and Kilosa districts, Tanzania. Information on the history of outbreaks was collected and clinical examination of goats with respiratory disease was conducted. Some typical cases were sacrificed for gross pathological evaluation. A total of 1247 serum samples (including 8 from sheep) were collected for serological analysis using the latex agglutination test (LAT). Nasal swab (57), lung (13), bronchial lymph node (13) and pleural fluid (6) samples were collected for microbiological culture and isolation of Mycoplasma capricoluni subsp. capripneiunoniae (M. capripneiunoniae') using a Ilayflick-based medium enriched with sodium pyruvate and containing 25% serum (H25P medium). Some samples were also cultured on a commercial freeze-dried CCPP diagnostic medium. Mycoplasma isolates on H25P medium were identified using the disc growth inhibition test while those on CCPP diagnostic medium were identified on the basis of their growth and colonial characteristics. All the sick and sacrificed goats showed clinical signs and post mortem features that were highly suggestive of CCPP. In Iringa district, out of the 250 goat sera from Mahenge division, 126 (approx. 50%) were positive for antibodies against M. capripneiunoniae, whereas of the 250 sera from Idodi division, 115 (46%) were seropositive. In Mpwapwa district, out of 301 analysed goat sera from Kibakwe division, 152 (approx. 50%) were seropositive compared to 47 (approx. 47%) of the 99 sera from Rudi division. Out of eight sheep sera, which were collected from Mpwapwa district, three (38%) had antibodies against M. capripneiunoniae. In Gairo division (Kilosa district), 339 goat sera were screened and 253 (approx. 75%) were seropositive. M. capripneiunoniaeiii was isolated from specimens from all the study districts. The results of this study indicate that the suspected outbreaks in the study areas were true CCPP. This provides additional information on the distribution of the disease in the country. The observation of characteristic colonics of M. capripneumoniae on the CCPP diagnostic medium demonstrates the latter’s potential in the field investigations of suspected CCPP outbreaks. The demonstration of M. capripneumoniae antibodies in sheep probably suggests that sheep are also susceptible to infection with the mycoplasma and may play a role in the epidemiology of CCPP. However, this aspect needs further investigation especially in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems where goats and sheep are often reared together.enPleuropneumoniaCaprineContagious caprineThesis