Johne’s Disease

Q&Afor Goat Owners

The National Johne’s Education Initiative recognizes Dr. Elisabeth Patton and
Dr. Gretchen May with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection and Dr. Elizabeth Manning with the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Johne’s Information Center for their contributions to this
piece. Some photos have been provided by the Johne’s Information Center,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, http://johnes.org.
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Q : What is Johne’s disease?

A : Johne’s (“YO-knees”) disease is a fatal gastrointestinal disease
of goats and other ruminants (including cattle, sheep, elk, deer, and
bison) that is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies
paratuberculosis (MAP). Also known as paratuberculosis, this infection is
contagious, which means it can spread in your herd.

The MAP organism is most commonly passed in the manure of infected

animals. The infection usually spreads from adult goats to kids and occurs
when a young animal swallows the organism via water, milk or feed that
has been contaminated by manure from infected animals. Most owners
are taken by surprise when the infection is diagnosed, and learn too late
that the infection has taken hold in multiple animals in a herd.

Due to lack of testing and reporting, it is not known how widespread

Johne’s disease is in goats in the United States. The infection has been
confirmed, however, in
many goat herds through-
out the country—in milk,
meat, heritage and other
breeds—and it is a problem
in most other goat-rearing
countries as well. The costs
of this infection range from
economic losses—due to
reduced production and
increased culling for meat
and milk animals—to
emotional losses—for
those whose goats are
more pets than agricultural
investments.

There is no cure for Johne’s

disease, and there is not an
approved vaccine for goats in the United States to help protect them from
infection. Therefore, prevention is the key to control.
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Q : How do I know if my herd has Johne’s disease?

A : A goat that appears perfectly healthy can be infected with MAP.
Although goats become infected in the first few months of life, many
remain free of clinical illness until months or years later. When goats
finally do become ill,
the symptoms are
vague and similar to
other ailments: rapid
weight loss and,
in some cases,
diarrhea. Despite
continuing to eat
well, infected goats
soon become
emaciated and weak.

Since the signs of

Johne’s disease are
similar to those for
several other dis- A goat showing symptoms of Johne’s disease.
eases—parasitism,
dental disease,
Caseous Lymphadenitis (CLA) and Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis
Virus (CAEV)—laboratory tests are needed to confirm a diagnosis.

When an animal with signs of Johne’s disease is discovered, it is very

likely that other infected animals—even those that still appear healthy—
are in the herd. Control of the infection requires that you and your
veterinarian address it in the whole herd and not just on an individual
animal basis.
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Q: Why do goats with clinical signs of Johne’s disease

lose weight and become weak?

A: When an animal is infected with MAP, the bacteria reside in

the last part of the small intestine—the ileum—and the intestinal lymph
nodes. At some point, the infection progresses as bacteria multiply and
take over more and more of the tissue. The goat’s immune system
responds to the bacteria with inflammation that thickens the intestinal
wall and prevents it from absorbing nutrients. As a result, a goat in the
clinically ill stage of Johne’s disease in effect starves to death. At this
stage the organism may also spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract,
travelling in the blood to muscles or other major organs such as the liver
or lungs.

Top: Thickened intestinal mucosa caused by Johne’s disease.

Bottom: Thin, pliable, normal intestine
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Q: How do goats become infected?

How is MAP spread in a herd?

A: Johne’s disease usually enters a herd when an infected, but healthy-

looking, goat is purchased. With MAP hiding in its small intestine, this
infected goat sheds the organism in its pellets and into the environment—
perhaps onto pasture or into water shared by its new herdmates. Goats
are at risk when they repeatedly swallow the organism, especially when
they are young (less than 6 months old). If the doe is infected, her offspring
can become infected even before they are born (in utero transmission).
The organism is also shed in an infected doe’s milk and colostrum.

Kids are most susceptible to infection with MAP and often become
infected through ingestion of
manure containing MAP—
such as from suckling manure-
stained teats, swallowing milk
that carries MAP or eating
feed, grass or water containing
MAP-contaminated manure.
Bottle-fed kids can also be-
come infected if the milk was
contaminated. Heat treatment
used to control CAE in milk
is not sufficient to kill MAP
organisms.

Since goats usually produce

more than one kid per birthing,
Johne’s disease can spread swiftly through a herd, especially if the
infection remains undetected for several kidding seasons.

While there seems to be age-related resistance to Johne’s disease, some

older goats may become infected, particularly when their immune systems
are suppressed for other reasons.

Johne’s disease can be transmitted from one ruminant species to

another—for example from cows to goats, goats to sheep, etc.
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Q : When do infected animals shed the bacteria?

A : Infected goats shed MAP in their manure on and off throughout their
lives. The older the animal, the more likely that shedding occurs as the infec-
tion progresses. As goats enter the latter stages of infection and clinical
signs begin to appear, the infective organism is shed more often and
more heavily.

Q : Is it difficult to find out if my herd has Johne’s disease?

A : Sometimes. Johne’s disease is often mistaken for intestinal
parasitism, chronic malnutrition, environmental toxins, cancer and CLA—
particularly in goats that have internal abscesses. Many herds rotate
parasite treatments for several rounds before testing for Johne’s disease
and determining this is the reason their goats are so thin. In addition,
some of the common laboratory tests for Johne’s disease may be difficult
to interpret.

If Johne’s disease is
suspected but has not
been confirmed in a
herd, a necropsy of a
goat with symptoms
of the disease may be
helpful in determining
if the infection is in a
herd. This necropsy
may reveal enlarged
intestinal lymph nodes
and a thickened, corru-
gated intestinal tract.

A complete necropsy of a goat suspected of having Johne’s disease

should include culture of the intestine and adjacent lymph node as well
as microscopic examination of these tissues to give you the greatest
confidence in the diagnosis.
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Q : How can I help keep Johne’s disease out of my herd?

A : Buyers beware! The most common way that the infection is intro-
duced to a herd is through the purchase of an animal from an infected
herd. Since many people raising goats are unaware of Johne’s disease,
both the seller and buyer are usually shocked when the diagnosis is made.

In short, it is easier to keep MAP out of a herd than to control the disease
once MAP sneaks in.

Practices that can help prevent the introduction of Johne’s disease into
a herd are:
■ Maintain a closed herd. Don’t buy Johne’s disease.
■ If you bring animals into the herd, purchase animals only from
herds that have tested for Johne’s disease. Ideally, purchase
only from herds that have had a negative whole-herd test in the
last year. If this is not possible, you are better off buying from
someone who is aware of the infection, has tested for it and
can provide accurate records on the disease in their herd than
to purchase an animal from someone who has never heard of
Johne’s disease.
■ If no diagnostic testing has been conducted in the source herd,
at least closely evaluate the body condition of all the adult
animals, discuss the history of clinical signs in any animals in
the herd over the past few years with the seller and test the
adult animal to be purchased.
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■ If the animal to be purchased is less than a year old, test its

dam since infected young animals are unlikely to test positive
for the infection.
■ Avoid grazing goats on pastures where MAP-infected ruminants
have grazed. Graze young goats on such a pasture only after
it has rested for a year. To date, MAP infection of free-ranging
ruminants such as deer or elk is uncommon, and currently
these species are not believed to be an important source of
infection to farmed ruminants.
■ Do not bring in other species that are susceptible to Johne’s
disease: sheep, cattle, other ruminants.
■ Do not board or borrow other people’s goats, as this can
introduce the infection into your herd.

Q: How can I control Johne’s disease once it has

entered my goat herd?

A: Since there is no cure for Johne’s disease, control of the infection

is critical. Control of Johne’s disease takes time and a strong commitment
to management practices focused on keeping young animals away from
contaminated manure, milk, feed and water. A typical herd clean-up
program may take a number of years. The basics of control are simple:
new infections must be prevented, and animals with the infection must
be identified and removed from the herd.

Your State Designated Johne’s Coordinator can help you undertake an

on-farm risk assessment that evaluates your operation, your resources
and your goals. An on-farm risk assessment highlights current manage-
ment practices that may put your herd at risk for spreading Johne’s
disease and other infections. At the completion of a risk assessment, your
veterinarian can work with you to develop a management plan designed
specifically for you and your herd that will minimize the identified risks
for disease transmission. (An on-farm risk assessment is part of the
Johne’s disease course for goat producers at www.vetmedce.org.)
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Most control plans follow basic rules of sanitation to block transmission

of the infection within the herd. Management recommendations include:
■ Keep kidding areas as manure free as possible. Use deep,
fresh bedding or sunny pastures with minimal manure.

■ If feasible, clean the udders of dams before kids nurse.

■ Use milk and colostrum from test-negative animals.

■ Be aware that colostrum purchased from another goat herd or

cow herd may be contaminated. Pasteurization needs to be at
145°F (63°C) for 30 minutes for batch pasteurization, or 162°F
(72°C) for 15 seconds for flash pasteurization to kill MAP in milk.

■ Kid suspect or test-positive does in an area separate from the

test-negative does.

■ Move young animals and their mothers to “clean” pastures as

soon as possible after kidding.

■ Wean early and put young goats on uncontaminated pastures.

■ Keep water sources clean, particularly those used by kids.

Use waterers designed to minimize fecal contamination.
■ Raise all feeders and avoid feeding on the ground.
■ Use diagnostic tests to identify infected animals and remove
them from the herd.
■ Necropsy sick or cull animals to determine if your herd is
infected with MAP.

■ If your herd has had numerous cases of Johne’s disease,

discuss depopulation with your veterinarian or, at a minimum,
immediately remove all test-positive animals and their last-born
kid. Do not allow kids to be exposed to milk or manure from
infected animals.

Remember: Preventing Johne’s disease is much less costly than

controlling it.
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Q: How can I clean contaminated equipment, stalls

and fields?

A: The MAP organism is very hardy in the environment: It resists

heat, cold, drying and dampness. Although the majority of organisms die
after several months, some will remain for many months. In fact research
shows that MAP can survive—at low levels—for up to 11 months in soil
and 17 months in water. MAP has also been recovered from grasses
fertilized with MAP-contaminated manure. This is why pastures and fields
known to be contaminated with MAP should not be used for kids, calves
or lambs for at least one year after last exposure.

Feed and watering equipment that may have become contaminated

should be washed and rinsed. When cleaning a water trough, sediment
and slime from the sides and bottom should not be dumped onto ground
that will be grazed by young
goats as the sediment and
slime may be contaminated
with MAP.

Disinfectants labeled as
“tuberculocidal” may be
used as directed for cleaning
tools, implements and
some surfaces. These
disinfectants, however, can
be inactivated by organic
material—such as dirt and
manure—and therefore are
not effective on dirty
surfaces, wood surfaces,
soil or even cement floors.

Composting of manure
and used bedding can
reduce the number of living
MAP organisms.
10

Q : Should I test my herd for Johne’s disease?

A : If you have goats with a normal appetite that have become thin
and are not responding to treatment, talk to your veterinarian. The culprit
may be Johne’s disease.

Remember: Since Johne’s disease is a herd problem, testing should

focus on the herd and not just a single animal.

Diagnostic testing for Johne’s disease can help to:

1. Determine if MAP infection is present in your herd.

2. Estimate the extent of MAP infection in your herd.
3. Control MAP in an infected herd.
4. Make a diagnosis for a sick animal.
5. Check if MAP is present in the environment.
6. Meet a pre-purchase or shipping requirement.
7. Demonstrate to potential buyers that your animals are low
risk for Johne’s disease (test-negative).

Once your veterinarian knows your goals in testing for Johne’s disease,
a testing plan that best meets your needs can be put in place. This plan
should outline the type of test, when to test, which animals to focus on,
the cost of testing, how to interpret the results and what actions to take
based on test results.

Decide how you plan to use your test results before you collect the
samples.
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Q: What diagnostic tests are available?

Which one is best?

A: Although there is no one “best test” for Johne’s disease in goats,

the best testing plan is one developed by you and your veterinarian
since you know your operation best—its goals, resources, other animal
health issues.

Diagnostic tests for Johne’s

disease look for either
the organism that causes
Johne’s disease (MAP) or
the animal’s response to
infection.

Tests that look for the

organism include culture
and PCR, with manure
samples tested. Individual
animals can be tested or
a laboratory can pool
manure samples from
multiple animals and
provide owners with
effective Johne’s disease
surveillance for a fraction
of the cost of individual
culture or PCR.

The animal’s body

responds to infection by
making antibodies. Tests that measure antibody levels are the ELISA for
milk and blood samples.

Due to the biology of MAP infection, older goats are much more likely
to shed MAP or produce antibody. Therefore, diagnostic tests are less
reliable for goats that are less than 18 months old.
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Testing approaches that have worked well for other goat herds include:

Testing Purpose Option A Option B

Confirm presence of Culture 5 – 10 Using ELISA* or fecal
MAP in a herd. environmental fecal culture, test the oldest
samples collected at or thinnest goats—
high goat traffic areas on 10% or more of the herd.
the farm.
Determine number of Blood test (ELISA*) all Collect fecal samples for
goats that are infected. adult goats. the lab to test by pooling
for culture. For every
positive pool, samples
are retested individually.
Control or eradicate Blood test (ELISA*) Collect fecal samples for
MAP in an infected herd. goats after their second the lab to test by pooling
kidding or older. for culture. For every
positive pool, samples
are retested individually.
Diagnose a sick goat If previous cases have If MAP has never been
or goat with weight loss been seen in the herd: confirmed in the herd,
and diarrhea. ELISA.* use fecal culture.
(Fecal culture if CLA is
a problem in the herd
or if the herd has been
vaccinated for CLA.)

*Use commercial ELISA kit approved by the USDA for small ruminants to limit the chance of false-positive results due to
cross-reacting antibodies from other types of infections.

Test samples should be submitted to a laboratory that has passed an

annual “check test” demonstrating their competency. These labs are
listed here:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/lab_info_services/
approved_labs.shtml
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Q: Where can I find more information about

Johne’s disease?

A: The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine’s

Johne’s disease website—www.johnes.org—addresses all aspects of
Johne’s disease for multiple species, including goats. The site has an
“Ask An Expert” feature that allows you to submit your own questions
and receive a personalized response from an expert.

The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine also offers a

free online course for goat producers. Simply go to www.vetmedce.org,
click on “Courses” in the lower left hand corner of the homepage. Once
on a new page, click on “Johne’s Disease.” At the next new page, click
on “Johne’s Disease Courses for Producers” followed by clicking on
“0017—Johne’s Disease for Goat Producers.”

To learn more about Johne’s disease in goats, please contact your

State animal health regulatory agency or your State Designated Johne’s
Coordinator. Contact information for your State’s Johne’s disease
program is available online at www.johnesdisease.org when you click
on “State Contacts.”
This information is provided by

13570 Meadowgrass Drive, Suite 201

Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Ph: 719.538.8843
www.animalagriculture.org