Abstract

S. V. Singh, P. K. Singh, M. K. Singh, A. V. Singh and J. S. Sohal

The study evaluated ‘therapeutic potential’ of ‘Indigenous Johne’s Disease Vaccine’ in a goat herd (important endangered Jamunapari breed) endemically infected with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). A total of 526 goats from this herd were vaccinated subcutaneously. Therapeutic potential’ was evaluated on the basis of physical improvement, change in body weights, shedding of MAP in feces, sero-conversion rates, mortality rates, growth performance, reproductive performance, milk production, population growth rate, feed and fodder consumption, body weight profile of kids born to vaccinated goats after vaccination and compared with preceding year. Following vaccination, rapid and remarkable reduction in production losses along with improvement in health was recorded. Goats exhibited recovery from symptoms and lesions of sub-clinical, clinical and advanced clinical Johne’s disease and improvement in productivity (growth rate, milk production, reproductive efficiency etc.). By decreasing the severity of clinical symptoms, herd incidence, inter-herd transmission of MAP ‘indigenous vaccine’ helped to salvage majority of 526 vaccinated Jamunapari goats from imminent culling due to weakness, debility and loss of productivity caused by Johne’s disease and contributed to the conservation of this endangered breed (Jamunapari) of native goats.