Vicki, I tried to send you an e-mail at the address given in your answer to my question about Johnes disease, but it would not send it.I would really appreciate the rest of the information, but I rather not put my mailing address on a public forum. If you would please let me know how to get in touch with you, I can give you my mailing address, or send you a stamped envelope.Thank you very much for your efforts in helping me . Karin

-- karin morey (www.wind_crest@hotmail.com), April 29, 2001

Answers

Know idea why my email didn't work, I don't use a fake one. Anyway send it to me again and I will copy the Goat Medicine information. He is a blurb from somebody else I got today:

Subject: Johnes Lecture

Lecture was given by Dr. Lee McPheil-Assistant Ohio State Veterinarian. Johnes is classified as a Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis and is a slow growing, very hardy, chronic disease affecting the lower small intestine. Infection has been found in all ruminant animals both wild and domestic.It was first isolated in 1895 by Dr. Heimrich Albert Johne. It is spread by the ingestion of the bacteria through feed, water, or milk. It can be passed through the placental wall when the dam is in a more advanced stage of the disease. The disease grows slowly in the cells of the small intestines and causes a gradual thickening of the intestinal wall making it impossible for it to function properly. Clinical symptoms appear in animals over 2 years old and are usually brought on by stress. Symptoms are: Progressive emaciation, submandibular edema, decreased production, good or increased appetite, excessive thirst, low grade fever, and diarrhea (except usually in goats). None of the testing that is used today is 100% accurate. The blood elisa test will give 6 to 7% false positives in cattle and the percentage is much higher in goats. The fecal test is only 50% accurate especially if animals are subclinical and are not shedding enough of the organisms. Testing must be done on a whole herd basis to get the best overall picture. The culture used for the fecal test is called the Harold's Egg Yolk Media and uses real egg yolk as the major testing media. Cultures are innoculated with disinfected stool and then checked every four weeks for 16 weeks.Each test per animal uses 4 vials of different processed media. In the state of Ohio alone there were over 37,000 tests run in 1998. It is felt that over 40% of the ruminant herds in Ohio have Johnes. In every herd for every animal obviously infected there are several that are subclinical (up to 25 to 1). Young stock are the very most susceptible from birth to 1 year old. There does seem to be resistance to the disease in older animals. Older animals will contract Johnes only if they are exposed to very large amounts of the bacteria over a prolonged period of time. Animals exposed at a young age will turn clinical from 2 to 4 years of age. Older animals that were exposed to high levels of the bacteria can turn chronic even at 8 to 10 years of age. There are 4 stages to the disease. First stage is non-detectable inyoung stock and can not be tested, second stage is subclinical shedders that are older animals and can be detected by testing; these animals are spreading the disease without the owner knowing there is a problem, stage three is the stage of starting the clinical stage of the disease, stage four is the advanced stage and results in death. There is no cure at this time for Johnes. Spreading of contaminated manure on hay fields or pasture land is a definite problem. Other animals can contract the disease by eating the hay or pasture off of these fields. Spreading on cropland (corn, oats etc.)has been determined safer. Water that is near run off from fields and barns that are contaminated contain the bacteria. According to some studies, pasturization at 172 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes will kill the bacteria. Standard home pasturizers will not kill the bacteria in all situations. Heating needs to be quick to the desired temperature. One strokecreosalic (sp?) antiseptics will kill the bacteria in the environment. Pasturesare considered safe when let sit fallow for over a year. There is a vaccinefor the disease but it just prolongs the period before clinical onset of the disease. Herds using the vaccine have to be TB tested beforehand and the vaccine itself causes HUGE abscesses that stay with the animal for life.At this time testing, sanitation, strict herd management of young stock,and culling of positive animals is the only way to fight this disease. Thereis a five stage Johnes free testing program set up in the state of Ohio that requires testing at regular intervals for the prescribed period of time. Persons interested in testing their herds need to check with the state they live in to see if that state has a similar program in place. It was also stated that some parks are starting to think about disallowing pack animalssuch as llamas and goats because of the risk of spreading the disease to ruminant wildlife. I hope this is helpful to all.

Vicki (this is forwarded material not mine)

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 04, 2001.