[Therapy of central nervous system listeriosis in sheep]

Twenty-two sheep and 4 goats suffering from central nervous listeriosis were treated with a therapy that had proved to be successful in cattle. For one week they received daily subcutaneous injections of 50,000 IU Procaine Penicillin G per kg live weight and 5 to 10 mg Vitamin B1 per kg body weight. The base excess was tested by blood gas analysis, and it was compensated by intravenous infusion of Na-bicarbonate. Animals that could not eat or swallow received water and rumen liquid by stomach tube. Eight of 26 patients (31%) were healed. The prognosis of central nervous listeriosis depends mainly on the time of initial treatment and on the degree of general disturbances: More than 90% of the animals that were recumbent (16 of 17) or showed dysphagia (12 of 13) at the beginning of treatment died or had to be euthanized because of persistent central nervous disturbances. The correction of blood-pH was of no therapeutic benefit when the disease was already in progress. Treatment of central nervous listeriosis seems to be effective as long as the patients can stand and swallow. When patients received care at this early stage of disease, 77% (7 of 9) were healed and returned to the flock.