Paratuberculosis

It is chronic infection of intestine caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis.

Transmission:

• Nursing of calf by infected dam

• Contaminated feed and water

• Also transmitted from dam to fetus and also present in genitalia.

Clinical Findings:

• Most important is infection occurs under thirty days of age and incubation period is very long so clinical signs appear at 3-5 years of age.

• Stage one is silent stage in which no clinical signs and it occurs in younger animals.

• In subclinical stage animal becomes carrier and potential source of infection. It is at adult stage.

• In clinical stage chronic diarrhea with presence of air bubbles and no odour, feed intake is normal, all other parameters normal but more thirst.

• In advanced clinical stage there is emaciation, dehydration and ultimately death.

Treatment:
No treatment is recommended. But streptomycin (50 mg/kg b. wt.) can be given.

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