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ZOONOTIC DISEASES |
Diseases Acquired from Goats
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A zoonotic disease is an illness that animals
pass to humans; a disease such as anthrax or ringworm
that can be transmitted from vertebrate animals
to humans. Many of the following, while they can
be spread by goats, are not common in the US. Any
treatment should be at the direction of your doctor
or vet.
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Actinobacillus - small, nonmotile,
nonencapsulated, gram-negative coccobacilli spread
by direct contact with saliva (also called wooden
tongue). It usually occurs in areas with copper
deficiency or pasture with abrasive weeds. Infection
usually begins as an acute inflammation with sudden
onset of: inability to eat or drink for several
days, drooling saliva, rapid loss of condition,
painful and swollen tongue, and/or nodules and ulcers
on the tongue. The tongue is not always affected
in goats; multiple purulent granules may occur in
the skin on the face, lips, nose, jaw and neck with
regional lymph nodes usually being involved. Lesions
develop into abscesses that rupture and discharge
yellow-green pus containing granules. Affected goats
have difficulty in eating and many die of starvation.
Actinobacillosis is readily treated. Treatment can
involve surgical debridement and flushing with iodine.
Antibiotics can be used; streptomycin is considered
the treatment of choice, tetracylcines and tilmicosin
are also effective.
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Anthrax - an infectious bacterial
disease of mammals that causes skin ulcers and is
transmittable to humans by inhalation and through
feces and infected meat. Anthrax infection can occur
in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and
gastrointestinal. B. anthracis spores can live in
the soil for many years, and humans can become infected
with anthrax by handling products from infected
animals or by inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated
animal products. Anthrax can also be spread by eating
undercooked meat from infected animals. To treat
anthrax, doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics.
To be effective, treatment should be initiated early.
If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.
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Brucellosis - a chronic infectious
disease of some domestic animals, for example, cattle,
dogs, goats, and pigs, caused by bacteria and may
lead to spontaneous abortion (also called Bang's
disease and undulant fever). Various Brucella
species affect sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk,
pigs, dogs, and several other animals. Humans become
infected by coming in contact with animals or animal
products that are contaminated with these bacteria.
In humans brucellosis can cause a range of symptoms
that are similar to the flu and may include fever,
sweats, headaches, back pains, and physical weakness.
Severe infections of the central nervous systems
or lining of the heart may occur. Brucellosis can
also cause long-lasting or chronic symptoms that
include recurrent fevers, joint pain, and fatigue.
Humans are generally infected in one of three ways:
eating or drinking something that is contaminated
with Brucella, breathing in the organism
(inhalation), or having the bacteria enter the body
through skin wounds. Treatment can be difficult.
Doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics. Usually,
doxycycline and rifampin are used in combination
for 6 weeks to prevent reoccuring infection. Depending
on the timing of treatment and severity of illness,
recovery may take a few weeks to several months.
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Campylobacteriosis - a bacterial
infection that affects the intestinal tract and,
in rare cases, the bloodstream, spread by eating
or drinking contaminated food or water, unpasteurized
milk, and by direct or indirect contact with fecal
material from an infected person, animal or pet.
Virtually all persons infected with Campylobacter
will recover without any specific treatment. Patients
should drink plenty of fluids as long as the diarrhea
lasts. In more severe cases, antibiotics such as
erythromycin or a fluoroquinolone can be used, and
can shorten the duration of symptoms if they are
given early in the illness.
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Chlamydia Trachomatis –
a sexually transmitted disease/bacterium that causes
several eye and urogenital diseases in humans and
other animals. Although transmission from buck to
doe at breeding is possible, the major sources of
infection of clean animals are aborted fetuses,
placentas, vaginal discharges, and infected feces.
In many areas chlamydial abortion is the second
cause of infectious abortions after brucellosis
and the main cause in countries where brucellosis
is controlled. Chlamydia can be easily treated and
cured with antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin
or a week of doxycycline (twice daily) are the most
commonly used treatments
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Cryptosporidiosis - an infectious
condition of humans and domestic animals, characterized
by fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It is spread
by a protozoan of the genus Cryptosporidium.
Cryptosporidium lives in the intestine
of infected humans or animals. Consequently, Cryptosporidium
is found in soil, food, water, or surfaces that
have been contaminated with infected human or animal
feces. If a person swallows the parasite they become
infected. The most common symptom of cryptosporidiosis
is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include: dehydration,
weight loss, stomach cramps or pain, fever, nausea,
and/or vomiting. Some people with crypto will have
no symptoms at all. While the small intestine is
the site most commonly affected , Cryptosporidium
infections could possibly affect other areas of
the digestive or the respiratory tract . A new drug,
nitazoxanide, has been approved for treatment of
diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium in people.
Anti-diarrheal medicine may help slow down diarrhea.
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Encephalitis (Tick-Borne) - inflammation
of the brain, usually caused by a viral infection;
this can be passed from goats to humans via ticks.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), also known as spring-summer
encephalitis, is a flavivirus infection of the central
nervous system. The two main serotypes, European
and Far Eastern, are transmitted by the hard ticks
Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus,
respectively. Humans acquire disease by the bite
of an infected tick or rarely, by ingesting unpasturized
dairy products primarily from infected goats, but
also sheep or cows. The only treatment currently
available is supportive. At this time, tick-borne
encephalitis is not currently a problem in the US.
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Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis
(CAE) - a viral infection of goats which may lead
to chronic disease of the joints and on rare occasions
encephalitis in goat kids less then six months of
age. The CAE virus is intimately associated with
white blood cells; therefore, any body secretions
which contain white blood cells are potential sources
of virus to other goats in the herd. Horizontal
transmission also contributes to disease spread
within herds and may occur through direct contact,
exposure to fomites at feed bunks and waterers,
ingestion of contaminated milk in milking parlors,
or serial use of needles or equipment contaminated
with blood. Unlikely methods of transmission, indicated
by experimental studies, include in utero to the
fetus, infection of the kid during parturition,
breeding, or through embryo transfer. Since CAE
is passed to kids from infected does, it stands
to reason humans (or other mammals) should not drink
raw CAE-infected goat milk although according to
Washington University there is NO evidence that
the CAE virus is transmissible to humans. Currently,
there is no cure for CAE. Treatment for the arthritic
form of CAE includes frequent proper foot trimming,
providing soft bedding, good pasture management,
and administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs. Physical therapy may be of benefit for recumbent
kids with the encephalitic form of CAE. Antibiotic
therapy may be used if secondary bacterial infection
is present in animals with CAE-induced interstitial
pneumonia and/or mastitis.
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Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL or
CLA) - chronic abscesses which occur in the superficial
lymph nodes is a worldwide disease of sheep, goats,
cattle, horses and more rarely man, caused by Corynebacterium
pseudotuberculosis. The infectious bacteria
can enter through skin wounds or mucous membranes.
The bacteria will generally localize in a subcutaneous
lymph node and form an abscess that the animal walls
off from the rest of its body. Abscesses may also
develop in internal body organs such as the lungs
or liver if organisms enter the bloodstream, and
external abscesses may not be present. Lymph nodes
around the head and neck region are most commonly
affected. Treatments include surgical drainage and
impaction of lesions with appropriate long-term
systemic antibiotic administration. However, complete
bacteriological cure cannot be guaranteed and may
lead to active infections being overlooked at subsequent
clinical examinations. Lancing abscesses may lead
to contamination of the environment. CLA can be
prevented. Colorado Serum Company manufactures a
vaccine for sheep, Case-Bac®, that has proven
somewhat effective (though off-label) in the prevention
of the disease in goats – assuming the herd
is not already infected. An autogenous vaccine can
be manufactured (farm specific) by several labs,
to include PHL in Davis, CA, which will not cure
CL but will stop its spread in previously infected
animals and prevent uninfected animals from future
contamination.
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Cryptosporidiosis - an infectious
condition of humans and domestic animals, characterized
by fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It is spread
by a protozoan of the genus Cryptosporidium (coccidian
protozoan parasites), and the infection is principally
on the intestinal epithelium (a thin protective
layer of tissue). The thick-walled oocysts are disinfectant
resistant and survive for long period of time in
cool, moist environments. If dehydration occurs,
treat with electrolytes. Treatment with halfuginone
may reduce severity and prevent spread of the disease;
but this drug can cause other problems if not used
correctly.
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Dermatophytosis - caused by an
obligate parasite localized from lesions of infected
hosts; a fungal infection. It is a natural disease
of sheep, goats, rabbits, lizards and humans. Humans
may become infected following contact with infected
animals. Arthropod vectors may transmit the disease
between animals, although objects that have had
contact with lesions may also transmit the pathogen
to a new host.
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Francisella Tularensis –
a small gram-negative aerobic bacillus. The disease
is usually contracted by handling infected animal
carcasses, consuming contaminated food or water,
or by inhaling the bacteria (also called rabbit
fever). Human tularemia presents as an indolent
ulcer at site of infection, accompanied by swelling
of the regional lymph nodes (ulceroglandular); sudden
on set of pain and fever, fever generally lasts
3 - 6 weeks without treatment. Transmitted through
inoculation of skin, conjunctival sac or oropharyngeal
mucosa with blood or tissue while handling infected
animals, or by fluids from infected flies, ticks
or other animals; bite of arthropods (deerfly, mosquito)
and ticks; ingestion of contaminated food and drinking
water; inhalation of contaminated dust; able to
pass through unbroken skin; rarely through bites
of animals. Treat with streptomycin for severe disease
and tetracycline for less severe cases.
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Giardiasis –infection of
the gut by a water-borne microscopic protozoan.
It is usually caused by drinking contaminated water
and results in severe diarrhea and vomiting (also
called giardia). Giardia infection can
cause a variety of intestinal symptoms, which include:
diarrhea, gas or flatulence, greasy stools that
tend to float, stomach cramps, or upset stomach
or nausea. These symptoms may lead to weight loss
and dehydration. Some people with giardiasis have
no symptoms at all. The recommended treatment for
giardiasis is to ingest an abundance of liquids.
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Johne's Disease (Mycobacterium
paratuberculosis or M. paratuberculosis)
– a bacterium that infects the last part of
the small intestine and causes an inflammation called
granulomatous inflammation. While Johne's disease
is found in sheep, goats, elk, deer, bison, llamas
and wild ruminants, there is debate whether this
can be passed to humans (called in humans Crohn's
Disease). Johne's disease usually enters a herd
when an infected, but healthy-looking, animal is
purchased. Since symptoms take years to manifest,
the owners are normally unaware of the problem.
Johne's disease causes diarrhea and rapid weight
loss (although not all goats have signs of diarrhea).
Young animals are most susceptible to infection,
catching the disease by nursing teats that have
been in contact with contaminated manure/soil. A
doe with later stages of the disease may pass it
through her milk. Tests for this disease are unreliable;
a positive animal may test negative simply because
it is not "shedding" the bacterium at
the time of the test. According to the University
of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, "It
has not been considered economically prudent to
treat animals with Johne's disease. The chances
of curing the animal are low, the cost of the drugs
is high and the meat and milk derived from animals
treated with the kind of potent drugs required are
not suitable for human consumption." While
it is not proven than humans can become infected,
there is enough of a zoonotic potential that Johne's
disease is included here.
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Leptospirosis - a disease affecting
human beings and domestic animals caused by spiral-shaped
bacteria (spirochetes) of the genus Leptospira,
sometimes with fever, jaundice, and kidney failure.
Outbreaks of leptospirosis are usually caused by
exposure to water contaminated with the urine of
infected animals. Many different kinds of animals
carry the bacterium; they may become sick but sometimes
have no symptoms. Leptospira organisms have been
found in cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, rodents, and
wild animals. Humans become infected through contact
with water, food, or soil containing urine from
these infected animals. This may happen by swallowing
contaminated food or water or through skin contact,
especially with mucosal surfaces, such as the eyes
or nose, or with broken skin. Leptospirosis is treated
with antibiotics, such as doxycycline or penicillin,
which should be given early in the course of the
disease. Intravenous antibiotics may be required
for more severe symptoms.
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Listeriosis – a disease
of the nervous system of mammals, birds, and occasionally
humans that can cause fever, meningitis, miscarriage,
or premature birth and is spread by eating food
(i.e., milk) contaminated with listeria. It is a
sporadic bacterial infection. The bacteria appear
to be soil and mammalian GI tracts. Grazing animals
ingest the organism and further contaminate vegetation
and soil. Animal-to-animal transmission occurs via
the fecal-oral route. Clinical signs in goats, sheep,
cattle, and pigs include facial paralysis and circling.
Listeria monocytogenes is susceptible to
high doses of penicillin, the treatment of choice.
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Louping Ill - a serious viral
disease spread by ticks that damages the central
nervous system, causing tremors and difficulty in
mobility. It affects many animals, including sheep,
cattle, goats, and hogs. The disease is caused by
a member of the Flaviviridae family. It is antigenically
closely related to other members of this family,
which are transmitted by Ioxodid ticks.
The tick-borne encephalitides caused by these viruses
are primarily a problem of infections in man and
it is only louping-ill virus that produces disease
in domestic animals. At this time, looping ill is
found in England, Scotland, and Russia and is not
currently a problem in the US.
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Orf (soremouth) - a
pox caused by a virus, affecting sheep and goats,
and also transmittable to humans, in which pus-filled
blisters form on the animals’ lips (also called
sore mouth). This virus can survive for very long
periods in scabs of infected goats. This may serve
as a source of infection many years. About two to
three days after exposure to the virus, vesicles,
pustules, and finally scabs appear on the lips,
nostrils, and other affected areas. The scabs last
from one to two weeks. Resulting pain causes reduced
feed consumption and subsequent economic loss. The
disease can resemble ulcerative dermatosis and Staphylococcus
dermatitis. Treatment with a broadspectrum antibiotic
ointment to affected areas is commonly used, but
has little effect on the course of the disease.
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Q-Fever - an infectious disease
caused by Coxiella burnetii (or rickettsial
bacteria) and characterized by fever, chills, and
muscle pain. Cattle, sheep, and goats are the primary
reservoirs of C. burnetii. Infection has
been noted in a wide variety of other animals, including
other species of livestock and in domesticated pets.
Coxiella burnetii does not usually cause
clinical disease in these animals, although abortion
in goats and sheep has been linked to C. burnetii
infection. Organisms are excreted in milk, urine,
and feces of infected animals. Most importantly,
during birthing the organisms are shed in high numbers
within the amniotic fluids and the placenta. Infection
of humans usually occurs by inhalation of these
organisms from air that contains airborne barnyard
dust contaminated by dried placental material, birth
fluids, and excreta of infected herd animals. Humans
are often very susceptible to the disease, and very
few organisms may be required to cause infection.
Doxycycline is the treatment of choice for acute
Q fever.
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Rabies - an often fatal viral
disease that affects the central nervous systems
of most warm-blooded animals and is transmitted
in the saliva of an infected animal. According to
Dr. Pamela Parnell, Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic
Center, "Goat rabies is very rarely diagnosed,
but goats are about as susceptible as dogs and cattle."
Currently there is no known vaccine approved for
goats. There is no treatment and no cure, and the
infection is uniformly fatal. According to Dr. Parnell,
"Any animal showing signs of neurological disease
should be euthanized and submitted for examination.
Other conditions/diseases that can look like rabies
include listeriosis, lead poisoning, brackenfern
toxicity, polioencephalomalacia, scrapie, and "pseudorabies,"
another viral disease that rarely affects goats
who are in pastures with or near pigs."
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Rift Valley Fever - acute, fever-causing
viral disease that affects domestic animals (such
as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels) and
humans. RVF is most commonly associated with mosquito-borne
epidemics during years of unusually heavy rainfall.
RVF is generally found in regions of eastern and
southern Africa. Humans can get RVF as a result
of bites from mosquitoes and possibly other bloodsucking
insects that serve as vectors. Humans can also get
the disease if they are exposed to either the blood
or other body fluids of infected animals. The most
severe impact is observed in pregnant livestock
infected with RVF, which results in abortion of
virtually 100% of fetuses. There is no established
course of treatment for patients infected with RVF
virus but ribavirin, an antiviral drug, or interferon,
immune modulators, may prove effective for use in
humans.
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Ringworm – a fungal disease
of the skin or scalp in which intensely itchy ring-shaped
patches develop. The fungi that cause ringworm thrive
in warm, moist areas. Ringworm is transmitted from
direct contact with an infected animal's skin or
hair. Dogs and cats, especially kittens or puppies,
cows, goats, pigs, and horses can pass ringworm
to people. People can also get ringworm from other
people and their personal items. Treat by keeping
skin clean and dry. Apply over-the-counter antifungal
or drying powders, lotions, or creams. Those that
contain miconazole, clotrimazole, or similar ingredients
are often effective.
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Salmonellosis - food poisoning
caused by infection with salmonella organisms, usually
characterized by gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea,
fever, and occasionally death (also called salmonella).
The Salmonella germ is a group of bacteria that
can cause diarrheal illness in humans and other
animals. They are microscopic living creatures that
pass from the feces of people or animals, to other
people or other animals. Antibiotics are not usually
necessary to treat salmonellosis unless the infection
spreads from the intestines, then it can be treated
with ampicillin, gentamicin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole,
or ciprofloxacin. Unfortunately, some Salmonella
bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics because
of the use of antibiotics to promote the growth
of feed animals.
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Tetanus (Clostridium tetani)
- an acute infectious disease, usually contracted
through a penetrating wound; it causes severe muscular
spasms and contractions, especially around the neck
and jaw (also called lockjaw). The spores
that cause tetanus are found in soil contaminated
by horse feces. These spores can live in soil for
several years. Infection with tetanus is of concern
with bites from any animal, or from injuries that
may result from working around animals. Mortality
from tetanus is 70 percent (untreated). Tetanus
can be treated with Tetanus: immune globulin (tetanus
anti-toxoid), penicillin, valium, and barbituates
(to minimize damage). Vaccination (tetanus toxoid)
is effective in preventing the disease; booster
shots should be given every ten years, or if there
is an acute injury.
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Toxoplasmosis – a disease
of mammals caused by protozoon toxoplasma gondii
via undercooked meat or through contact with infectious
animals, especially cats. The ingestion of raw goat
milk can also transmit the disease to humans. Toxoplasmosis
is contagious disease of swine, sheep, goats, and
other species characterized with encephalitis, pneumonia,
and neonatal mortality. The illness may vary from
flu-like symptoms to more severe symptoms such as
enlarged, painful lymph nodes, fever or eye infection.
Any organ may be involved and the condition may
spread throughout the body. There is no known treatment.
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Wesselsbron Disease - an acute,
arthropod-borne flavivirus infection of sheep, cattle,
and goats. This viral disease primarily affects
goats, sheep, and cattle in southern Africa. It
resembles Rift Valley fever. The virus can be distinguished
from that of Rift Valley fever by intraperitoneally
injecting weaned mice. It does not kill weaned mice
injected by this route, whereas Rift Valley fever
virus does. Wesselsbron disease causes death in
newborn kids and lambs and abortion in cows and
ewes; human infection results in mild febrile illness;
it causes a nonfatal influenza-like disease. No
treatment identified.
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Yersinia Enterocolitica - any
of several gram-negative bacteria, many of which
cause disease in humans and animals. The major animal
reservoir for Y. enterocolitica strains
that cause human illness is pigs, but other strains
are also found in many other animals including rodents,
rabbits, sheep, cattle, horses, dogs, and cats.
Uncomplicated cases of diarrhea due to Y. enterocolitica
usually resolve on their own without antibiotic
treatment. However, in more severe or complicated
infections, antibiotics such as aminoglycosides,
doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or fluoroquinolones
may be useful.
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Ken and Pat Motes
Clear Creek Farms
33 South Clear Creek Road
Fall River, Tennessee 38468
Phone: (931) 852-2167
Fax: (931) 852-2168
Copyright © 2002 -2019 All Rights Reserved
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