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CASEOUS LYMPHADENITIS - UPDATE  IN  2022

How do goat raisers  manage Caseous Lymphadenitis now that Texas Vet Lab's vaccine to prevent CL in goats was permanently withdrawn from the market on June 1, 2021?     The company chose not to renew its license  because sales were not enough to continue vaccine production.

In  2022, we  know several methods   to manage CL.     It is true that we  have no vaccine for CL in goats.  It is also true that the CL vaccine  for  sheep  (CaseBac)  does not  prevent CL in goats and its manufacturer, Colorado Serum, recommends against its usage with goats.    But we do have viable management alternatives which I review  in this article.

Caseous Lymphadenitis is a contagious bacterial infection that appears at lymph gland sites as abscesses. Not all abscesses are CL, but the contents of all abscesses should be tested to determine their bacterial content.    Because the bacteria Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis is resistant to all antibiotics, , Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) should be considered neither curable nor completely preventable at this time.   However,    CL    is   MANAGEABLE.

CL is primarily a management and nuisance disease.       Unlike Caprine Arthritic Encephalitis (CAE) and Johnes Disease, CL does not damage the health of or kill the goat except in very rare instances like abscesses in udders.   CL also does NOT   pass in semen, vaginal fluids, saliva, or milk.  The bacteria only passes from goat to goat by direct contact with the pus, either through cuts on the body (for example, shearing)  or oral ingestion by the goat (for example, at a feed trough).  Quality goats do not  have to be culled or euthanized.   CL is  manageable.

Most abscesses, whether CL or another bacteria, appear under the ear, because that is the location of the first set of lymph glands closest to the mouth where the pus was likely ingested.

If you buy and sell goats or have any significant number of them, you are likely to encounter CL. Transmission vectors (ways to spread the disease) can be insects, birds,  animals,  tires, clothing,  footwear, and a host of other ways   over which you have little control.

Prepare yourself in advance on how to manage and control CL.

Alternative  #1:  Have an AUTOGENOUS vaccine made for use with your herd.  Texas Vet Lab, now owned by Bimeda, will develop an autogenous vaccine for you.    Producers must go through a licensed vet to obtain this vaccine and that VOR (Veterinarian of Record)  must make the contact with Bimeda.  The minimum order is 1000 doses  of  100 ml bottles.   The VOR  must collect samples of pus from actively infected goats and ship them to Bimeda Biological diagnostic lab.  The protocol for vets to follow is available on Bimeda's website.   1-800-284-8403 is Bimeda's toll-free number.  Website: US-Biologicals@bimeda.com.  My contact has long been Tom Thompson, who is a very knowledge and helpful man.

Alternative #2:      Many years ago  on ChevonTalk, the Internet meat-goat education and discussion group that I have owned since November 1998 (now on Groups.io),  Dr. Rosemarie Szostak   recounted how she gained control over Caseous Lymphadenitis in her  herd. Dr. Szostak, who holds a PhD in chemistry and is also a goat owner, injected 10% buffered Formalin into the abscesses.

Formalin, chemically classified as a DISINFECTANT , is a buffered solution of formaldehyde. I recommended its usage before the Texas Vet Lab vaccine was available, and I am again suggesting investigating its usage  now that the vaccine is off the market.  While Formalin usage will not cure CL (nothing will, at present), it does provide an effective management and control alternative, and  IF USED PROPERLY,  can be very effective.   Use only 10% buffered Formalin.

The FIRST STEP is to make sure that you are dealing with CL.   Do NOT  automatically assume that an abscess is CL.  There are many types of abscesses, and most types need  to be lanced, drained, and flushed with iodine; they should NOT be injected with Formalin.

Bob Glass, owner of Pan American Vet Lab near Austin, Texas, can test for CL.  He performs both blood and exudate (pus) tests.  Blood tests are not nearly as reliable as testing the pus.  Call Bob Glass at 512 964 3927 or email him at bglass@pavlab.com for collection instructions, shipping,  and pricing.   Bob will hopefully  "talk you off the CL ledge."   He and I are both used to talking with people who become  hysterical about the possibility of having CL in their goat herd.

Alternative #3:  Lance the abscess with a #10 scalpel, clean out the pus, and flush with strong iodine or equivalent.

Whether you choose to lance the abscess or inject 10% buffered Formalin into it, the  ONLY   time to lance or  use  10% buffered Formalin  is when the hair  has begun to come off  and the knot is  soft.  CL abscesses do not appear  overnight --   you  just  didn't notice its development.    CL abscesses develop  slowly over a period of weeks  or months  as the lymph gland system filters this bacteria from the body into an encapsulated abscess outside the body.   Some abscesses encapsulate into several knots, while others become a single mass. Pregnant does are a special  concern, because you  don't want newborn kids exposed to the CL bacteria if the abscess ruptures.

Note: I am NOT a veterinarian and the usage of Formalin is NOT  "approved"  for this specific purpose, but it isn't illegal either, to my knowledge.   You may find difficulty in locating and purchasing this product. Like so much of what we  have to use with goats, this is an off-label/extra-label usage.  Withdrawal time isn't an issue since the Formalin goes into the encapsulated abscess, not the goat's body.

CL abscesses encapsulate; they create a thick wall around the exudate (pus), isolating the infected material from the rest of the goat's body.   It  is highly unlikely that Formalin would be able to migrate to any other part of the goat's body IF you use it correctly.

When a  goat is slaughtered and the hide is removed, subcutaneous (under-the-skin) abscesses peel off with the hide. Internal organs that have  abscesses, such as udders and lungs, go into the offals (trash) bucket as parts of the goat that are not eaten. Abscesses are  visible in the organs of slaughtered goats, making them easy to recognize, cut out,  and discard.

CONTINUE TO PART II --->