Caseous Lymphadenitis in Goats

Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) is a chronic bacterial infection of goats that causes abscesses to form on the skin or inside the body. The abscesses can decrease the value of a goat and interfere with reproduction and milk production.

  1. Cause

    • CLA is caused by the bacterium, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. The bacterium enters the skin through wounds or small cuts. It spreads easily throughout the goat herd.

    How it Spreads

    • Goats with CLA spread the bacteria directly to other goats when they come in contact with each other. They can also spread the disease when the abscesses burst and contaminate pens, barns, feeding and drinking utensils or bedding.

    Signs

    • Non-painful swellings on the skin are the main sign of CLA. Some goats can have large abscesses on internal organs leading to poor condition or death.

    Treatment

    • Lance the abscesses with a sharp scalpel. Use a bag or container to catch the pus and burn it after use. Use a disinfecting solution, such as dilute iodine solution, to clean out the drained abscess. Do not allow the drained material to contaminate the soil, building or pen.

    Prevention/Solution

    • If you do not have CLA in your herd, only buy goats from herds that are free of the disease. There is a vaccine available, but it does not cure infected goats and does not prevent all infections. Cull all goats severely infected by CLA from the herd.