Shepherds Research Articles

Polygamous Family Life and Geographic Isolation: The Poetry of Esther Ann Birch Bennion

Polygamous Family Life and Geographic Isolation: The Poetry of Esther Ann Birch Bennion

Patologia da periodontite crônica em ovinos

ABSTRACT: Periodontitis is an inflammatory process of infectious origin affecting the teeth and their supporting structures, causing significant economic losses and reducing animal welfare. Bacteria in the gingival biofilm are one of the main factors in initiating inflammatory lesions. Bacteria act directly on tissues or indirectly through substances that cause tissue damage. Studies on the etiopathogenesis of periodontitis in Brazilian sheep herds are scarce. The present study aimed to characterize histologically periodontal lesions of culled sheep from the Brazilian breed, Santa Inês. Periodontal lesions, such as periodontal pockets containing plant tissue and bacteria, replacement of the periodontal ligament by connective tissue and inflammatory cells, superficial pustules, hydropic epithelial degeneration, and epithelium hyperplasia, were observed. Submucosal changes were characterized by granulation tissue, edema, swelling of the endothelial cells, bacteria, and predominantly perivascular lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate. In the alveolar bone, osteoclastic resorption and bone apposition were observed. This study revealed subacute to chronic inflammation, alveolar bone resorption, and cortical bone apposition in ovine periodontitis. Thus, these findings can contribute to the evolution of knowledge about the etiopathogenesis of ovine periodontitis and, possibly, the development of measures to control the disease.

Causas de morte e condenação de órgãos no abate de ovinos em sistema de confinamento no Sul do Rio Grande do Sul

ABSTRACT: In Brazil the second largest sheep herd is in Rio Grande do Sul and in recent years the demand for meat consumption of this specie has increased. Intensive farming systems have made considerable progress in this region with the objective of increasing the production of sheep for slaughter and obtaining a uniform batch to ensure better quality of sheep meat to consumers. However, the agglomeration and stress that animals go through can lead to the occurrence of illnesses and economic loss to producers. The objectives of this paper were to determine the main causes of death that affected sheep in a feedlot system, to establish forms of control and prophylaxis of diagnosed illnesses, and to estimate the economic losses resulting from them. The objective was also to determine the causes of condemnation of organs or carcasses in the slaughterhouses that processed the sheep were sent, and to estimate the losses in this productive sector. For this, a follow-up work was carried out in an establishment located in the city of São Lourenço do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, from October 2020 to September 2021. The dead sheep at the feedlot were necropsied, and the diagnosis was made based on clinical signs, pathology, and bacteriology. The main diseases diagnosed were parasitic enteritis (15.4%), pneumonia (13%), and listeriosis (9.6%). In the slaughterhouse study, the lesions that led to the highest number of condemnations were hydatidosis (29.9%), renal congestion (26.2%), and renal ischemia (25.8%). The economic losses estimated for the death of sheep in 2021 was R$17,480.00, significantly lower than the approximate losses in 2019 and 2020 of R$50,000.00 and R$54,000.00, respectively. This highlights the importance of technical assistance to reduce these losses due to mortality in sheep raised in a feedlot system. It was also observed the kidneys of the sheep were the organs most frequently selected for condemnation. The economic value of the kidneys sold as disposed waste was eight time lower than that the value of kidneys suitable for consumption.

Role of Economy as Social Institution in Cholistan Desert

Cholistan is the second largest desert of Pakistan with semi-nomadic culture. Based on its landscape, Cholistan is divided into two parts, i.e., Greater and Lesser Cholistan. This study review highlights the economic activities of native people of Cholistan, challenges faced by people and ways to improve the economic standard of native people. Due to its rough terrain, Cholistan is hardly accessible from outside except specialized vehicles. The entire Cholistan is the least populated area and the existing population is scattered among sand dunes. Cholistan is deprived of socio-economic development and hence there is a lack of basic amenities of life such as drinking water, food, education, healthcare and housing. Due to the scarcity of irrigation water and the landscape of Cholistan, there is hardly any possibility of agri-farming and production grains for livelihood. Animal herds are a major source of livelihood and sustenance for the people of Cholistan. Local people own larger herds of cows, camels, goats and sheep, which are vital for survival, i.e., food sources and money for purchasing necessities. Cholistani people do not possess formal education and skills and are unable to avail any job opportunity in the formal sector. As a result, Cholistani people are choiceless except to depend upon animal husbandry. All the family members, including women, participate in animal husbandry and other small scale agri-farming for earning a livelihood. Life is simple, and daily needs of local people are very limited, and economic activities are few in Cholistan. Social institution is playing their role to educate the people and fulfilling the economic needs of the Cholistani people.

Spatio‐temporal occurrence and sensitivity to livestock husbandry of Pallas's cat in the Mongolian Altai

AbstractBiased research and conservation efforts result in some faunal groups (e.g., small felids) being understudied, and hence these groups are often declining without adequate knowledge to manage for threat reduction. The Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul) occurs across central and western Asia with declining populations and the largest population is likely in Mongolia. A potential threat to this felid is livestock encroachment across its range, including within protected areas, yet we lack a clear understanding of the impact of livestock husbandry on this cat. We used motion‐sensitive camera data from 216 sites in 4 study areas in western Mongolia to study the occurrence probability of Pallas's cat in relation to habitat characteristics and occurrence of livestock, and conducted a local assessment within a strictly protected area where we obtained the highest number of detections. We estimated a relatively low occupancy (0.33 ± 0.10), which is associated with sites with natural vegetation, steeper slopes, and greater prey abundance. Occupancy also increased with increasing livestock occurrence, particularly large herds of sheep and goats. Such co‐occurrence was partially adjusted by diel activity segregation, presumably to limit direct encounters. Our results suggest that the preferred habitat by Pallas's cat in the study region coincides with areas encroached by livestock. The Pallas's cat's habitat is specialized and its dependence on areas that are increasingly used for grazing may eventually threaten the cat with habitat degradation, prey depletion, predation by dogs, and poisoning from pest control. Relevant conservation actions should regulate livestock encroachment within protected areas and improve grazing regimes. The Pallas's cat is an indicator species of mountainous and steppe ecosystems in central Asia; hence, further research towards the preservation of its populations would also benefit other key species across its range.

Modelling management strategies for chronic disease in wildlife: Predictions for the control of respiratory disease in bighorn sheep

Abstract Controlling persistent infectious disease in wildlife populations is an ongoing challenge for wildlife managers and conservationists worldwide, and chronic diseases in particular remain a pernicious problem. Here, we develop a dynamic pathogen transmission model capturing key features of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection, a major cause of population declines in North American bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis. We explore the effects of model assumptions and parameter values on disease dynamics, including density‐ versus frequency‐dependent transmission, the inclusion of a carrier class versus a longer infectious period, host survival rates, disease‐induced mortality and recovery rates and the epidemic growth rate. Along the way, we estimate the basic reproductive ratio, R0, for M. ovipneumoniae in bighorn sheep to fall between approximately 1.36 and 1.74. We apply the model to compare efficacies across a suite of management actions following an epidemic, including test‐and‐remove, depopulation‐and‐reintroduction, range expansion, herd augmentation and density reduction. Our results suggest that test‐and‐remove, depopulation‐and‐reintroduction and range expansion could help persistently infected bighorn sheep herds recovery following an epidemic. By contrast, augmentation could lead to worse outcomes than those expected in the absence of management. Other management actions that improve host survival or reduce disease‐induced mortality are also likely to improve population size and persistence of chronically infected herds. Synthesis and applications. Dynamic transmission models like the one employed here offer a structured, logical approach for exploring hypotheses, planning field experiments and designing adaptive management. We find that management strategies that removed infected animals or isolated them within a structured metapopulation were most successful at facilitating herd recovery from a low‐prevalence, chronic pathogen. Ideally, models like ours should operate iteratively with field experiments to triangulate on better approaches for managing wildlife diseases.

First study of Brucella ovis antibodies in purebred sheep flocks in the State of Parana, Brazil

ABSTRACT Brucella ovis, a non-zoonotic species, is the etiological agent of ovine brucellosis, an infectious disease of clinical or subclinical occurrence in sheep flocks. Until then, there is no serological study of anti-Brucella ovis antibodies in purebred sheep herds. This study aimed to determine the presence of anti-Brucella ovis antibodies in purebred sheep flocks with breeding purposes from Parana State. Blood samples from 728 animals, of which 563 were females and 165 males, between 8 and 56 months of age from the six major sheep producing mesoregions of Parana, were submitted to detection of anti-Brucella ovis antibodies by the Agar Gel Immunodiffusion technique using an antigen from the bacteria Brucella ovis (Reo 198). The results indicate the presence of this disease in purebred sheep from Parana State in a low occurrence of 0.27% (2/728). The only two positive animals were rams, Santa Inês breed, from the same flock in the East Center region of Parana, without clinical disease. In conclusion, Brucella ovis is present in purebred sheep in Parana State, Brazil, and this low occurrence may have occurred due to rigorous breeding systems that may contribute to reduce the transmission of this disease.

Prevalence of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in Ovine and Caprine Flocks: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is the causative agent of bovine viral diarrhea. It can infect cattle, sheep, pigs, and other animals, causing diarrhea, miscarriage, and stillbirth, among other symptoms, and it can result in huge economic losses to animal husbandry. There are reports on BVDV infection rates in sheep and goat herds from all over the world and this meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for BVDV in sheep and goats.Results: Using the data of 41,297 sheep and goats in 24 countries/regions to calculate a comprehensive prevalence rate for BVDV. The overall prevalence of BVDV infection in sheep and goats was estimated to be 8.6% (95% CI: 5.2–12.7) by immunological methods and 7.3% (95% CI: 2.7–13.7) by molecular methods. Analysis by national income level revealed that prevalence is higher in middle-income countries than in high-income countries (P < 0.05). The study also compared prevalence rates by species of BVDV, sampling year, and test species, but did not find significant differences.Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to determine the global prevalence of BVDV in ovine and caprine flocks. The prevalence of BVDV in sheep and goat populations varies from region to region, and the situation is not optimistic in some countries.

Melville's Quixoticism and the Modern World-System

Melville's Quixoticism and the Modern World-System

Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on Woodland in Northern Syria (4th–2nd Mill. BC): Evidence from Charcoal Assemblages and Oak Measurements

ABSTRACT In this paper charcoals from the Syrian sites Tell Mozan and Tell Jerablus are investigated to understand the impact of 4th to 2nd millennium BC settlement on the vegetation. Charcoals from these sites have been identified and oak fragments have been measured for their maximal diameter and annual ring widths. Our results show that while oak had reached its maximal expansion in the Mid-Holocene, and vegetation in the Euphrates Valley was lusher than today, strong anthropogenic impact on the vegetation was occurring, probably already prior to the Late Chalcolithic period. Due to potentially enormous herds of sheep and goat, and possibly large-scale agriculture with perhaps some understory cropping, oak was growing very slowly, to the degree that it must often have had a shrub-like appearance. People did not apply systematic oak woodland management practices, such as coppicing or pollarding. They used dung as an additional fuel, probably to cover for shortages in wood resources. The land appears to have been used both intensively and extensively to a degree that was not sustainable in the long term. This, combined with aridity impact on the oak, probably led to a decrease in oak proportion at Mozan in the Middle Bronze Age.

Appraisal of the conversion possibilities of pastoral meat sheep systems to the organic production model

AbstractIn the Mediterranean Basin, sheep meat production systems are based on grazing, and help to conserve biodiversity, mitigate the greenhouse gases emissions and maintain the population in rural areas. However, the lack of differentiation of pastoral systems, as opposed to the intensive model, puts its continuity at risk. In this sense, organic farming can be an alternative to sustain extensive sheep-cereal production systems in marginal Mediterranean drylands. The aim of this research was to evaluate the conversion possibilities of pastoral meat sheep production systems to the organic production model in the Mediterranean Basin, working with the autochthonous Segureña breed sheep. 46 farms were studied, classified into four clusters by mean of multivariate analysis. In order to determine the degree to which farms approached the organic model, 60 variables, grouped into nine indicators were analyzed to obtain an Organic Conversion Index (OCI). The Nutritional management indicator has a high value of approaching the organic model, as well as Animal welfare and Food safety. Marketing and business management, Breeds and reproduction, Weed and pest control and Sustainable pasture management indicators also reach a good approximation level. Only the Breeds and reproduction indicator presented values with significant differences between clusters. The average value of the OCI for the 46 farms ranges from 63 to 70%, and therefore it can be concluded that extensive meat sheep herds in the region are close to this production model. Among the recommendations that can be made to improve the conversion possibilities to the organic model are: (i) to increase own fodder production or find a way to obtain it easily and economically; (ii) to complete the plant−soil−animal cycle, (iii) to seek greater marketing autonomy and (iv) to achieve closer contact with the final consumer. At the same time, government policy both in Spain and other parts of Europe should persevere to find more ways to support the progress of this type of production, in an effort to address limitations and overcome the lack of alternative markets.

Serological investigation and genotyping of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in sheep and goats in Inner Mongolia, China.

Paratuberculosis a contagious and chronic disease in domestic and wild ruminants, is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Typical clinical signs include intractable diarrhea, progressive emaciation, proliferative enteropathy, and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Paratuberculosis is endemic to many parts of the world and responsible for considerable economic losses. In this study, different types of paratuberculosis and MAP in sheep and goats were investigated in Inner Mongolia, a northern province in China contiguous with two countries and eight other provinces. A total of 4434 serum samples were collected from six cities in the western, central, and eastern regions of Inner Mongolia and analyzed using the ELISA test. In addition, tissue samples were collected from seven animals that were suspected to be infected with MAP. Finally, these tissues samples were analyzed by histopathological examination followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), IS1311 PCR-restriction enzyme analysis (PCR-REA), and a sequence analysis of five genes. Among all 4434 ruminant serum samples collected from the six cities in the western, central, and eastern regions of Inner Mongolia, 7.60% (337/4434) measured positive for the MAP antibody. The proportions of positive MAP antibody results for serum samples collected in the western, central, and eastern regions were 5.10% (105/2058), 6.63% (85/1282), and 13.44% (147/1094), respectively. For the seven suspected infected animals selected from the herd with the highest rate of positivity, the gross pathology and histopathology of the necropsied animals were found to be consistent with the pathological features of paratuberculosis. The PCR analysis further confirmed the diagnosis of paratuberculosis. The rest of the results demonstrated that herds of sheep and goats in Inner Mongolia were infected with both MAP type II and type III. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the two subtypes of MAP strains in sheep and goats in Inner Mongolia.

Broadening the Collective Turn in Marketing: From Consumer Collectives to Consumption Agencements

Broadening the Collective Turn in Marketing: From Consumer Collectives to Consumption Agencements

Clinical, histopathological, and molecular characterization of Mycoplasma species in sheep and goats in Egypt.

Background and Aim:Mycoplasma infection in small ruminants is a serious problem in sheep and goat herds around the world. It is responsible for high economic losses and decreased animal productivity. This study aimed to highlight the clinical, histopathological, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and molecular characterization of Mycoplasma species in sheep and goats in Menoufiya Governorate, Egypt.Materials and Methods:A total of 234 samples were collected; 104 samples were collected from pneumonic lung tissues from the abattoir, in addition, 10 and 20 samples collected from apparently and diseased sheep, respectively, and 40 and 60 samples were collected from apparently and diseased goats, respectively, which were subjected to isolation onto pleuropneumonia-like organism medium. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), histopathological examination, and determination of the MIC were also performed.Results:Of 104 samples of lung tissues showing pneumonic lesions, 56 (53.84%) were positive for Mycoplasma isolation. The positive isolation of Mycoplasma from 10 and 20 samples from apparently and diseased sheep was 30% and 40%, respectively as well as the positive isolation of Mycoplasma was 17% and 56.66% out of 40 and 60 apparently healthy and diseased field goat’s cases, respectively. All the diseased sheep and goats showed respiratory manifestations, including cough, bilateral nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, and systemic reaction. Evaluation of the MIC for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae revealed that lincospectin and tylosin were the most effective antibiotics at 2.5 mg/mL. Histopathological examination of affected lung tissue showed extensive hemorrhagic pneumonia with extensive alveolar hemorrhage. The PCR technique proved to be a rapid, specific, and sensitive method for the detection of M. ovipneumoniae and Mycoplasma arginini at 390 and 326 bp, respectively.Conclusion:M. ovipneumoniae and M. arginini were the most prevalent species associated with respiratory infections in sheep and goats in the study area. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of these species in dissemination of the disease within herds of small ruminants.

Molecular detection and prevalence of Theileria ovis and Anaplasma marginale in sheep blood samples collected from Layyah district in Punjab, Pakistan.

Theileria ovis and Anaplasma marginale are intracellular pathogens affecting a wide range of animals, causing huge economic losses worldwide. The present study reports the molecular evidence of Theileria ovis and Anaplasma marginale in sheep blood samples (N = 218) collected from Layyah district in Punjab (Pakistan), where economy heavily relies on livestock. A 520 base pair fragment specific for 18S ribosomal RNA gene of Theileria ovis was PCR amplified in 23/218 (10.6%) sheep blood samples, while for Anaplasma marginale, a 265 base pair fragment specific for msp1b gene was generated in 15/218 (6.9%) sheep blood samples. Two blood samples were found co-infected (0.9%) with both parasites. Amplified PCR products of both parasites were confirmed by DNA sequencing and submitted to GenBank. Prevalence of both Theileria ovis (p = 0.3) and Anaplasma marginale (p = 0.4) varied non-significantly among the investigated sheep breeds. Tick burden on dogs present with sheep herds was found associated with Theileria ovis infection in sheep (p = 0.05). It was observed that lambs (p = 0.009), sheep in small herds (p = 0.04), and tick burden on dogs present with sheep herds (p = 0.01) were associated with Anaplasma marginale infection in sheep during the present study. In conclusion, we are reporting a higher prevalence of Theileria ovis than Anaplasma marginale in blood samples of sheep collected from Layyah district. Tick-infested dogs were found to be risk factors for the transmission of both pathogens in sheep, and tick control strategies should be extended to dogs associated with sheep herds in this area.

The Persistence of Unfree Labor in the American Southwest

Abstract This article explores the continuities of forced labor in the Southwest, where peonage and the partido system lasted for more than a century after the Thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery, and places it within the broader context of modern global slavery. Debt peonage and peasant sharecropping—known locally as the partido—are usually classified as two different forms of unfree labor, but in the nineteenth- and twentieth-century Southwest they had much in common and were oftentimes mutually reinforcing. Through the legal and cultural intricacies of the partido system, thousands of landless Hispanos in the northern half of New Mexico and southern reaches of Colorado worked full-time in exchange for a small share of the annual wool harvest. Many of those same men became debt-bound to the tiny percentage of wealthy families who owned the sheep herds and grazing ranges. Through these means, partidarios (sheep renters) lost much if not all of their autonomy and became, to varying degrees depending on the disposition of their creditor and benefactor, debt peons.

Serological survey of leptospirosis, brucellosis, and lentivirus in herds of small ruminants in Recôncavo Baiano, Bahia, Brazil

A serological survey was carried out to assess the frequency of leptospirosis, small ruminants lentivirus (SRLV), and brucellosis in small ruminant herds in the Recôncavo Baiano, State of Bahia, Brazil, from February to December 2017. In four goat herds, 125 animals were tested for SRLV and leptospirosis, while in five sheep herds, 378 animals were tested for leptospirosis, brucellosis, and SRLV. Regarding leptospirosis, MAT detected 80% of goats and 15.34% of sheep seroreactive. Reactivity was most frequent to serogroups Autumnalis and Grippotyphosa in goats and sheep, respectively. Regarding SRLV, 8.8% of goats and 0.79% of sheep were reactive. Search for anti-B. ovis antibodies revealed 0.52% reactivity. In sheep, three animals showed simultaneous seroreactivity for SRLV and leptospirosis, while one animal had a serological response for brucellosis and leptospirosis. In goats, simultaneous seroreactivity for SRLV and leptospirosis was observed in only one animal. Leptospirosis was the most frequent of the three infectious diseases in investigated herds.

Persistence and spread of tetracycline resistance genes and microbial community variations in the soil of animal corrals in a semi-arid planted forest.

At the spring, goat and sheep herds are transferred to planted forests, in a semi-arid region in the northern Negev Desert, Israel, to reduce herbaceous biomass and, fire risk. The herds are held overnight in corrals for about 4 months, enriching the soil with organic matter and nitrogen. This research examined the effect of these enrichments on soil bacterial community structure (BCS) and the abundance of tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs) in active and abandoned corrals (1-10-years-old). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla dominated the soil of all corrals. The Actinobacteria were less abundant in the active and 1-year-old corrals (23-26%) than in the other corrals and the control (33-38%). A principal component analysis showed that, the BCS in the active and the 1-year-old abandoned corrals was significantly different from that in the older corrals and the control. The Firmicutes phylum constituted 28% of the BCS in the active corrals, 12.5% in the 1-year-old corrals and 2% in the older corrals and the control. In contrast, the Acidobacteria phylum was hardly detected in the active and 1-year-old abandoned corrals and constituted 10% of the BCS in the older corrals. Genes conferring resistance to tetracycline were detected in high numbers. The tetG and tetW genes were detected in the active and abandoned corrals (1-10 years). The tetQ gene was detected only in the active and 1-year-old abandoned corrals. None of the genes were detected in the control soil. The three genes were detected outside an active corral, in the downstream section of an ephemeral tributary. The results prove that abandoned and unobserved periodic animal corrals are an environmental reservoir for TRGs.

Генетическая структура стада по генам GDF9, GH у овец Волгоградской и Эдильбаевской пород

Aim. The study of the genetic structure of sheep of the Volgograd and Edilbaevsky breeds according to the GDF9, GH genes. Materials and Methods. The research was carried out in herds of sheep from leading breeding plants, on the basis of Don State Agrarian University and Volga Region Research Institute of Manufacture and Processing of Meat-and-Milk Production. Biosamples of skin and cartilage tissue from the auricles were taken from sheep by plucking an area of 1 cm² for molecular genetic studies. Evaluation was performed by PCR-RFLP method. Endonucleases BstHH HaeIII were used to restrict the amplified regions of the GDF9 and GH genes. The presence and frequency of alleles and genotypes for the GDF9, GH genes were determined based on the results of a molecular genetic study. Results. The article is devoted to the study of the genetic structure of sheep of the Volgograd and Edilbaevsky breeds. One of the important resources for creating highly productive animals is the use of marker selection as an additional criterion for the selection and selection of breeding animals. The use of DNA markers for the selection of animals containing desirable alleles of genes of economically valuable traits is one of the new scientific approaches to solve this problem. The development of sheep breeding in our country will allow using the available natural and human resources in rural areas, as well as obtaining high-quality lamb through the use of resource-saving technologies. The aim of the work was to study the genetic structure of sheep of the Volgograd and Edilbaevsky breeds according to the GDF9, GH genes. To perform molecular genetic studies, samples of ear plucks (tissue from the auricle) with an area of 1 cm2 were taken from sheep. The assessment was carried out by PCR-PDRF. In all the studied groups of sheep, A and B allelic variants of the GDF9 gene, alleles A and B of the GH gene were established. The analysis of the data revealed a breed aspect in the distribution of the frequency of alleles and genotypes of the GDF9, GH genes in the populations under consideration. Conclusion. The results of the study of the genetic structure of the populations of sheep of the Volgograd and Edilbaevsky breeds showed that the frequency distribution of alleles and genotypes of the growth hormone (GH) and differential growth factor (GDF9) genes have some features associated with the breed affiliation of the studied sheep.

Development of a real-time PCR assay for the detection of Brucella ovis DNA in clinical samples

The etiological agent of infectious ovine epididymitis is Brucella ovis and for its direct indication in clinical samples several PCR protocols are proposed. This study describes a design and selection of the oligonucleotides for real-time PCR targeting conservative BOV_A0504 gene. The specificity of a real-time PCR was validated using 25 B. ovis field isolates and 14 microorganisms of closely related species. The detection limit of B. ovis in bacterial culture was determined as 3.5×101 CFU/mL with Ct value of 37.8. There are no detectable fluorescence signals in the clinical samples from intact animals, whereas bacteriologically confirmed material such as urine and testicle tissue samples were positive. It confirms that the assay is highly specific for detection of B. ovis DNA. Thus, the proposed real-time PCR assay enables fast detection and quantification of B. ovis in clinical material, which can be used as additional test for estimation of the health status of a sheep herd