The Common Diseases of Goat in Punjab and their Prevention

Dr. Vishal Mahajan

Principal Scientist, Department of Animal Disease Research Centre Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana

Livestock is the most prospective sector. It addresses the problems of landless, small- scale and marginal farmers by helping in the alleviation of poverty. Sheep and goat are very important species of the livestock sector. They are a promising source of nutrition and have an important role in uplifting the rural economy of developing countries. Small ruminants particularly in Punjab are mainly reared by small and marginal farmers which represent mostly the poorer sections of society. Due to intensification of small ruminant farming, there is increase in the number of disease outbreaks in the recent years and causes severe economic loss to the goat farmers. Several diseases cause acute infection hence there will be sudden onset of infection leading to huge mortality. Measures like use of vaccines before onset of disease, good management practices, etc., are essential to prevent the disease outbreaks. The present manuscript describes various diseases affecting small ruminants in Punjab and its preventive measures.

Pestes des petits ruminants (PPR)

PPR is highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild small ruminants caused by Moribilli- virus belonging to family Paramyxoviridae and is clinically similar to rinderpest making differential diagnosis difficult. The country is now free from rinderpest, but unfortunately, PPR has become endemic in the country.

• Clinical signs exhibited include fever (105-107^oF), ocular and nasal discharges, white cheesy deposits on the tongue and gums, labored breathing and occasional cough,feces are loose and watery that soil the posterior region of the affected animals.
• Post mortem lesions include inflammatory and necrotic lesions in the oral cavity and throughout the GI tract; “zebra stripes” of large  intestine.
• Samples required include unclotted blood, serum, swabs of nasal and rectum, mediastinal and mesenteric lymph node, spleen, lungs, tonsils.
• Confirmation of disease can be done by sandwich ELISA (which is rapid and sensitive, and differentiates between PPR and rinderpest), virus isolation and PCR.
• There is no specific treatment, however, broad spectrum antibiotics to control secondary bacterial complications can be given along with supportive therapy.
• A live attenuated cell culture vaccine for PPR provides immunity for more than five years and booster immunization is not required. The vaccine is safe in animals older than 3 months including pregnant animals.

Foot and mouth disease (FMD)

FMD is highly contagious disease enlisted in OIE list of notifiable diseases that infects cloven- hoofed animals viz. cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, camel and deer. The disease is caused by an aphthovirus (family Picornaviridae), which has seven major serotypes O, A, C, Asia 1 and Southern African Territories (SAT 1, SAT 2, SAT 3). Out of these serotypes (O, A, C, Asia 1) C strain has not been reported from India from last 20 years so this strain has removed from vaccine. Small ruminants play an important role in the epidemiology and transmission of Foot- and-Mouth Disease (FMD). The main reasons therefore are: FMD is difficult to diagnose as infected sheep not always show typical clinical symptoms or as the cardinal signs mimicked other diseases.

• Sheep and goats are considered maintenance hosts and show mild clinical signs viz. fever, oral lesions and lameness.
• Sample collection: Vesicular epithelium from the lesions, whole blood, serum sample and esophageal-pharyngeal fluid.
• Laboratory diagnostic techniques include sandwich-ELISA, NSP-ELISA (Differentiation of vaccinated and infected animals) and PCR. Can also perform virus isolation.
• The symptomatic treatment includes antibiotics to check secondary bacterial infection, anti- inflammatory and antipyretic drugs. In addition, antiseptic mouth and teat wash can be given with potassium permagnate solution (1: 1000) or 2-5% povidine iodine solution. Besides, boroglycerine paste can be applied on mouth ulcers. The feet should be dipped in phenyl or 2% copper sulphate. In addition, provide easily chewable diet to the animals like dalia and lush green fodder.
• During an outbreak, steps to control FMD may include vaccination, surveillance, quarantine measures, establishment of control zones, strict biosecurity, reporting of confirmed cases, and hygienic In event of an outbreak, modified vaccination programs include„Ring vaccination‟ to contain the outbreaks and „Frontier vaccination‟ to produce a buffer area between the infected and free countries.

Goat Pox/Sheep pox

Goatpox and sheeppox are caused by a genus of Capripox virus of the family Poxviridae. The virus enters via the respiratory tract and transmission commonly is by aerosol and infection is usually associated with close contact with infected animals. After the virus get in to the body of sheep and Goat it has five developmental stages. This disease is more severe in young animals than adults;

• Fever (106^oF), ocular and mucopurulent nasal discharge and difficult breathing; vesicle and pustule formation over the entire body surface mainly in the region of sparsely wooled area involving nostril, lip, ventral surface of tail, medial region of thigh, inguinal and udder region.
• Postmortem examination: Nodular lesion on the lung and whitish necrotic areas in kidneys. Histopathologically, there is eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies characteristic feature of sheep pox.
• Samples required: Skin biopsies, lymph nodes, lung lesion and serum sample
• Diagnosis: History, Clinical signs, histopathological lesions and the confirmation of the disease by capripox diagnostic PCR.
• All diseased animals should be treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics to restrict secondary bacterial infection.
• Since this disease has no effective treatment, it is essential to vaccinate sheep and goat flocks regularly on an annual basis with a safe and efficient vaccine for the control of this serious and economically important disease in endemic Regions.

Contagious pustular dermatitis (orf)

Contagious pustular dermatitis is caused by orf virus classified in the genus Parapoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. It is a non-systemic eruptive skin disease of sheep and goats transmissible to human beings.

• The virus generally causes proliferative and crusty lesions in the skin of the lips, around the nostrils and oral mucosa. Animals are also having difficulty in taking feed as a result of lesions on the mouth.
• Sample required: Scabs with underlying tissue scrapings.
• Treatment: Broad spectrum antibiotics, removal of scab and local antibiotics, soft feed to animals should be given.

Brucellosis

Caprine brucellosis is an infectious zoonotic disease having substantial economic impact on both livestock and human. The causative agent is B. melitensis that are small, non-motile, non-spore forming, gram-negative coccobacilli.

• Infection occurs primarily through ingestion of the organisms. Goats acquire infection by licking the aborted fetuses, placentas, newborn kids, vaginal discharges, or by consumption of feed contaminated with these infectious materials.
• Clinical manifestations include high abortion rates particularly during the fourth month of pregnancy and retained placentas, orchitis in bucks, arthritis and hygromas. In goats, mastitis and lameness may also be seen.
• Various diagnostic techniques have been used for the detection of brucellosis in small ruminants including CFT, RBPT, iELISA, PCR, bacteriological isolation etc.

Tuberculosis (TB):

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious, chronic, debilitating and granulomatous disease caused by acid-fast bacilli of the genus Mycobacterium.

• Lesions caused by Mycobacterium bovis in the lungs and lymph nodes of sheep and goats are similar to those seen in cattle, and the organism may sometimes disseminate to other organs.
• Sheep and goats are quite resistant to M tuberculosis The intradermal skin test is commonly used for diagnosis.
• The comparative tuberculin skin test conducted in the cervical region using biologically balanced purified protein derivative tuberculins of M bovis and M avium can be used to differentiate sensitization to other mycobacteria. The responses should be observed at 72 hr for induration and swellings.

Paratuberculosis (Johne’s disease/JD):

JD is caused by Mycobacterium aviumsubspecies paratuberculosis, a fastidious, acid-fast, gram- positive rod

• The organism is present in the environment and animals at young are affected either through ingestion of contaminated milk or direct contact. Infected goats may excrete the bacteria in the feces thereby contaminating the environment.
• The incubation period is usually months to years. Chronic wasting is a characteristic sign in goat and at times pasty feces or diarrhea (in advanced cases) can be witnessed. In advanced cases the animals may lose weight rapidly and will have a hide and bone conditions.
• During PM examination intestine of the affected animals have a corrugated appearance
• History: progressive weight loss (despite a good appetite), bottle jaw, lethargy, diarrhea in some cases, decreased milk production, enlargement of regional lymph nodes, and death.
• Acid fast staining of fecal smear.
• Advanced diagnostic tests: serum and milk ELISA,PCR.

Listeriosis

Listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes is an infectious disease affecting wide range of animals including ruminants, monogastric animals and man. The disease occurs in three forms encephalitic, septicemic and abortions however, encephalitis is the most prevalent manifestation in sheep.

• In encephalitic form, nervous symptoms of circling, unilateral facial paralysis, unilateral blindness, dropping of ears and jaw. The infection results from trigeminal nerve infection consequent to abrasions of the buccal mucosa with feed or infection of tooth cavities.
• Cerebrospinal fluid reveals higher concentration of total proteins with increase in globulins.
• Histopathologically, micro-abcesses and perivascular cuffing in the brain are pathognomonic lesions of disease.
• Sample required: Brain stem (Medulla oblongata, Pons and cerebellum).
• Diagnosis can be made by characteristic clinical symptoms, histopathological findings isolation of organism, Immunohistochemistry and PCR.
• Drug of choice: Penicillin-G @ 44000 IU /kg body weight daily intramuscularly for 1-2 weeks.

Enterotoxemia (Overeating Disease)

Enterotoxemia, also known as overeating or pulpy kidney disease, is a condition caused by the absorption of a large amount of toxins produced by Clostridium perfringens types C and D in the intestines.These bacteria are found in the soil  and as part of the normal microflora in the gastrointestinal tract of a healthy goats and sheep.

• Under certain conditions, these bacteria can rapidly reproduce in the animals, producing large quantities of toxins.
• perfringensType D primarily produce enterotoxamia and Type C sometimes causes sudden death in goats.
• Grain-fed kids (3–12 weeks old) on a high-concentrate diet are most susceptible, but adult goats may also be Goats are commonly affected with a hemorrhagic form of enterotoxemia.
• The peracute condition is characterized by sudden death of younger and healthy kids. This is occasionally preceded by other signs such as loss of appetite, lack of rumen activity and rumination, bloat, depression and a drunken appearance; the animals may show neurological signs such as incoordination, inability to stand, and There may be watery diarrhea and glucosuria.
• In goat‟s acute disease is mainly characterized by dysentery, abdominal discomfort and
• In acute cases of goats, the necropsy findings include pulmonary edema, necrosis of intestinal walls and scattered hyperaemic areas of intestine. Intestinal contents may be green, blood- stained or mucoid, and fibrinous casts may be present in the lumen of the large intestine. Mesentric lymph nodes may be Fluid accumulation in the pericardial sac, extremely necrotic, soft kidneys („pulpy kidneys‟), focal encephalomalacia, and petechiae of serosa of the brain, diaphragm, gastrointestinal tract and heart are common findings.
• Diagnosis of enterotoxaemia depends on epidemiological features, type of diet, clinical and pathological features. Gram positive rods can be demonstrated in the smears of intestinal contents or in the lesions of intestine. The culture of bacteria from fecal samples in cooked meat media may be suggestive of the disease.
• Vaccination of all animals in the herd against Clostridium perfringens types C and D is generally effective in preventing enterotoximia.

Tetanus

Tetanus (Lockjaw) is an acute, highly fatal intoxication of all domestic animals and humans caused by neurotoxin(tetanospasmin) produced by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. Though all species of livestock are susceptible, sheep and goats are more susceptible than cattle and horses being the most susceptible.

• It  is   characterized   by   hyperasethesia,   tetany   and      The    etiological agent, Clostridium tetani a strictly anaerobic, motile, slender, straight, spore forming („drumstick appearance‟)‟
• Spores are introduced into the tissue through wounds, specifically deep puncture wounds that provide the favorable anaerobic Most outbreaks occur following mass contamination of animals during castration, vaccination, ear tagging, docking and other surgical procedures.
• Diagnosis can be made based on clinical features such as muscular spasms, prolapse of third eyelid and based on history of trauma or The Gram-positive rods with terminal spores can be demonstrated in the smears prepared from necrotic tissue or wound.

Disease control and prevention

Animals with infection or clinical signs should be separated from rest of the animals so that infectious pathogens do not transmit to naïve animals and it is also recommended to quarantine newly purchased animals before admitting them into the farm. These practices can curtail the spread of infectious agents. It is also advisable to screen for diseases before purchasing the animals to the farm.

Vaccination is the most successful and cost-effective way to control, eliminate or even eradicate an infection at the population level or to prevent clinical signs of disease. When epidemiological conditions make containment and control of an infection extremely difficult, then combination of strong biosecurity measures and mass vaccination can effectively stop the spread of the disease.

Vaccination Schedule

There is no single universally accepted vaccination schedule, but vaccine to be used depends on the prevalence of that disease in particular area or farm.

Sheep/ Goats

* Some areas, vaccination against blue tongue and anthrax is also recommended.

CONTROL & MANAGEMENT OF IMPORTANT DISEASES OF SHEEP & GOAT

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