Paratuberculosis in goats causes decrease in milk production, loss of weight and increased culling of infected animals. Caprine paratuberculosis and tuberculosis are endemic important infectious diseases in Spain. Mixed infection with these two mycobacterial diseases is present in cattle and goat. In this work we describe the control strategies implemented for the last three years in a goat farm with a dual infection to obtain a free flock. In 2001 both tuberculosis and paratuberculosis were detected in a goat farm in Madrid. In 2002 segregation of neonates immediately after birth (to avoid direct contact with the does and vice versa) was implemented, feeding the kids with artificial colostrum and milk. All these kids were placed in a different area separated from adults, and strict control measures were introduced to avoid contamination between the two groups. Periodically a blood extraction was performed in both groups for detection of bovine γ-IFN (tuberculosis diagnosis) and antibodies against Map (paratuberculosis diagnosis). Since the study started around 300 hundred animals have been culled to confirm the bacteriological status based on serological results. Samples have been taken from these animals and cultured for the detection of Mycobacterium bovis and Map. When this work began, 78.1% of the animals of the group not subjected to control measures were positive to either tuberculosis, paratuberculosis or both. After three years, the controlled group is believed to be free of tuberculosis, and only 9 out of 203 (5.4%) of the animals were seropositive to paratuberculosis. The study is still ongoing to clarify possible ways of transmission for this small percentage, such as vertical transmission. However, control measures implemented have demonstrated their usefulness so far.

Sponsorship

Attendance to this Congress was sponsored by the EU-funded project SSPE-CT-2004-501903.