Ashish Kumar Churamani*, Anil Kumar Mishra1, and K. Gururaj2

Pneumonia is one of the most important respiratory diseases affecting goats and sheep and continues to pose a major constraint to small ruminant production worldwide. The disease is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and significant economic losses due to reduced growth, decreased milk yield, increased treatment costs, and death, particularly in young animals. Pneumonia in small ruminants is multifactorial in nature and results from complex interactions between infectious agents, host immunity, and environmental and management-related stressors. Bacterial pathogens such as Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Bibersteinia trehalosi, along with mycoplasmal agents including Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae, Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri, and Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum, play a central role in the etiology of the disease. Viral infections further contribute by predisposing animals to secondary bacterial invasion. Clinically, pneumonia is characterized by fever, respiratory distress, coughing, nasal discharge, poor growth, and reduced productivity, with severe cases progressing to respiratory failure and death. Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation supported by laboratory techniques such as bacterial culture, polymerase chain reaction, serological assays, and post-mortem examination. Effective prevention and control require an integrated approach emphasizing early diagnosis, appropriate antimicrobial therapy, improved housing and management, biosecurity measures, and vaccination where available. This article highlights the causes, clinical signs, diagnostic approaches, control and preventive strategies for pneumonia in goats and sheep, underscoring the importance of comprehensive disease management for sustainable small ruminant production.