Milkborne outbreak of Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides infection in a commercial goat dairy
East, N.E.; DaMassa, A.J.; Logan, L.L.; Brooks, D.L.; McGowan, B.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 182(12): 1338-1341
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-1488 PMID: 6348004 Document Number: 213356
A commercial goat dairy comprising about 300 lactating does developed a sudden problem with polyarthritis in the kids and clinical mastitis in the does. The problem began 3 to 4 weeks after the introduction of 27 lactating does from a herd with a history of mastitis caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides. Over two breeding seasons (about 12 months), about 170 kids and 70 does died or were killed. Affected kids were 2-8 weeks old, had multiple warm swollen joints, body temperature of 40.8 to 41.5 deg C, weight loss, and pneumonia. All were lame and some experienced so much discomfort that they were unable to get up. The predominant post mortem finding was severe fibrinopurulent polyarthritis, but fibrinous pleuritis, fibrinous pericarditis, interstitial pneumonia, and bronchopneumonia also were found in some kids. Culturing of affected joints and of bulk tank milk yielded large numbers of Mycoplasma. The outbreak was terminated by feeding heat-treated colostrum (56 deg C for 1 hour) and pasteurized milk to kids. Milk from the does was cultured repeatedly; by this procedure, the does shedding Mycoplasma in the milk were identified and culled.