Control of paratuberculosis in sheep and goats

Abstract

Control of paratuberculosis in small ruminants can be easily achieved by vaccination. Vaccination prevents clinical cases and thus may lead to increased production at a highly profitable benefit-to-cost ratio. Because bacterial shedding is greatly reduced, vaccination can help control the general contamination risks. There are no restrictions to vaccination in sheep, but potential interference with diagnosis of tuberculosis must be taken into account in goats. Other control strategies have failed, because of either high costs or lack of efficacy on a large scale.