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Biosecurity Testing
All our goats are tested yearly for CL, CAE, and Johne's.
CL
Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is a chronic, contagious bacterial disease that manifests clinically as abscesses of peripheral and/or internal lymph nodes and organs. The characteristic purulent material is very thick and nonodorous. Whereas the peripheral form presents as abscesses of single or multiple peripheral palpable lymph nodes, internal CL typically manifests as chronic weight loss and ill thrift. Culture of active lesions for Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is diagnostically definitive. When eliminating animals from the herd/flock is undesirable, treatment consists of consistent, sustained antimicrobial therapy to reduce the numbers of active draining lesions and isolation from other herd mates until lesions are dry and/or resolved.
cae
Caprine arthritis and encephalitis (CAE) is a persistent lentiviral infection of goats. There are multiple clinical presentations: 1) leukoencephalomyelitis, affecting 2- to 6-month-old kids, 2) chronic, hyperplastic polysynovitis, 3) indurative mastitis, and 4) interstitial pneumonia. Presence of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) can be confirmed in a goat herd by means of serologic testing; however, a positive result does not guarantee an individual animal will develop clinical signs of disease. A presumptive diagnosis is based on clinical signs. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for CAEV, supportive care is indicated, with euthanasia necessary in severe cases.
Johne's
Paratuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis , is a chronic, contagious granulomatous enteritis characterized in cattle and other ruminants by progressive weight loss, debilitation, and eventually death. Diagnosis is primarily made by PCR. There is no satisfactory treatment. Control requires good sanitation and management to avoid exposure among young animals.
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