Therapeutic potential of Johne’s disease vaccine: A follow up post vaccination study in a goatherd of endangered Jamunapari breed, naturally infected with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis

Abstract

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.