January 2026 Issue |
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• Subscribe to Meat Goat Mania • Email Us • Onion Creek Ranch • Bending Tree Ranch • OCR Health & Management Articles • MGM Archive |
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BLUETONGUE IN GOATS An orbivirus spread by biting gnats (midges) of the genus Culicoides, Bluetongue usually causes mild or even no symptoms in goats. This disease is usually much more severe in sheep, cattle, and other ruminants. Symptoms may include mouth and lip sores, facial swelling, eye/nose discharge, and even lameness. Mucous membranes in the mouth become dark pink as the disease progresses and the tongue may turn bluish in color. Lame ness may occur if the coronary bands of the hooves and tissues of the feet are so badly infected and they may slough off their hooves. Diarrhea is sometimes present. Bluetongue causes abortions , still births, and (if born alive), weak kids. Transmission of the virus across the placenta can occur. It can also be transmitted sexually from goat to goat. Supportive care is essential, because in the case of newborns, they may be too weak to nurse or unable to suckle their dams' teats because of the mouth/lip sores. Producers will have to feed and care for them until the virus passes and the sores have healed. There is no specific cure for Bluetongue in goats. There are multiple serotypes of vaccines for Bluetongue in sheep and cattle, but no vaccines to prevent Bluetongue in goats. Bluetongue is _not_zoonotic, i.e. it does not transmit to humans. The meat, if well cooked, is safe to eat. Bluetongue can be mistaken for Soremouth, but Soremouth is contagious to humans. It also mimics Hoof & Mouth Disease (FMD) which is a very serious disease that must be reported to authorities for handling and containment. Since the organism transmitting the disease is a gnat, Bluetongue spreads primarily in late summer and fall when gnats are active. Cattle, wild ruminants, and even white-tailed deer are carriers. Supportive treatment involves antibiotics to prevent or cure secondary infections as well as minimizing stress so the goats can eat, drink, rest, and heal. Kids have to be supplemented with colostrum and milk, as they usually cannot nurse. Prevention requires keeping breeding and loafing areas free of biting gnats. Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas 1.1.26 |
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