Reproductive Diseases of Sheep and Goats

Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter jejuni)

Clinical signs:

• abortion-late term

• stillbirths/premature lambs

• ewes symptomatic prior to parturition

Transmission: Campylobacteriosis

Fecal-oral route ( not venereal )

Treatment: Campylobacteriosis

Abortion outbreaks:

• Antibiotics- Penicillin

• Antibiotics in the feed- Oxytetracycline

• Isolate affected animals

Prevention and Control:

• Infected ewes abort once

• May be retained as breeding stock

• Killed bacterin

Zoonotic: Human Campylobacter

Clinical signs:

• Mild diarrhea w/ severe stomach cramps

• Fever

• Vomiting

• Convulsions

Transmitted from: Human Campylobacter

• Contaminated food

  • Chicken

  • Cheese

  • Unwashed fruits/veggies

• Contaminated water or unpasteurized milk

• Sick pets or farm animals

Q Fever ( Coxiella burnetii )

Clinical signs:

• Asymptomatic, but ZOONOTIC!!!

• Late abortions or delivery of weak lamb

Transmission: Q Fever

• Tick borne

• Ingestion of infected material

• Inhalation

Treatment and Control: Q Fever

• Isolation

• Tetracycline

• Remove aborted tissues

• Pregnant women should not handle Q fever- infected animals or tissues

Zoonotic: Human Syndrome of fever

• Acute- fever, headache, myalgia

• Abortions in pregnant women

Chlamydia ( Chlamydia psittaci )

Clinical signs:

• Abortion/ stillbirths *

• Arthritis or pneumonia

• Pinkeye

Transmission: Chlamydia

Ingestion

Treatment and Control: Chlamydia

• Isolation

• Remove aborted tissues

• Oxytetracycline in feed or water

• killed vaccines

• ZOONOTIC!!!

Zoonotic: Human Psittacosis

• Flu-like symptoms

  • Fever, chills, headache, malaise, myalgia

• URI, pneumonia

• Hepatitis, myocarditis

Toxoplasmosis ( Toxoplasma gondii- protozoa)

Clinical signs of sheep:

• No CS in the Adult

• Before 50 days- embryonic death and reabsorption

• 60-100 days- fetal death or birth of weak lambs/kids

• Last month of gestation- no effect

• ZOONOTIC

Transmission: Toxoplasmosis

Ingestion of grass/feed contaminated with cat feces

Control: Toxoplasmosis

• Avoid contamination of feedstuffs with cat feces

• Don’t let cats eat placentas or carcasses

• Infected ewes/does seldom abort from toxoplasmosis in subsequent pregnancies

• In endemic areas, exposing replacement ewes to aborting ewes may provide immunity before breeding age