Strategies for Infectious Disease Control in Goat Herds

Many of the chronic infectious disease problems in the goat herd are lifelong infections from exposure of kids near the time of birth. Infectious disease control programs start with planning kid-rearing strategies to minimize infection of the neonate. Pasteurized rearing strategies are commonly used to prevent mycoplasmosis and caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV), however pasteurized rearing (with age segregation) also reduces the risk of Johnes disease (Mycobacterium paratuberculosis) and caseous lymphadenitis (CLA, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis). Removal kids from the kidding/maternity pen environment would reduce potential exposure to scrapie agent in infective placental tissues. Pasteurized rearing alone will reduce the overall prevalence of these diseases, but serologic testing and segregation or culling is needed to fully control CAEV. Similarly, pasteurized rearing must be combined with milking hygiene measures, routine milk cultures and segregation for mycoplasma control. Serologic testing and segregation or culling may be used in herds with low incidence of CLA, while premises hygiene, vaccination and isolation of affected animals will be main strategies used to control of CLA in heavily infected herds. Integrated approaches to control of the chronic infectious diseases acquired early in life can greatly enhance longevity of goats in the herd.