Potential disease agents in domestic goats and relevance to bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) management

PLoS One. 2017 Mar 10;12(3):e0173396. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173396. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Domestic goats are raised for meat, milk and hair production, in herds for rangeland weed control, and as pack animals. Domestic sheep, goats and wild bighorn sheep are all susceptible to a multifactorial pneumonia. We sampled 43 herd goats from 7 herds and 48 pack goats from 11 herds for viral and bacterial serology, parasitology, and Pasteurellaceae microbiology. The goats in this study were in generally good health, although most goats did harbor various pathogens and parasites including several bacteria, specifically Pasteurellaceae, which have been associated with pneumonia in free-ranging bighorn sheep. It is not known if domestic goats can transmit the Pasteurellaceae or other pathogens found in this study readily to wild bighorn sheep. However, due the possibility of transmission, domestic goats in areas in or near bighorn sheep habitat should be managed to minimize the risk of spreading disease agents to bighorn sheep.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Ecosystem
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Goat Diseases / microbiology
  • Goat Diseases / parasitology
  • Goat Diseases / virology
  • Goats / microbiology*
  • Goats / parasitology
  • Goats / virology
  • Pasteurellaceae / isolation & purification
  • Sheep / microbiology*
  • Sheep / parasitology
  • Sheep / virology
  • Sheep Diseases / microbiology
  • Sheep Diseases / parasitology
  • Sheep Diseases / virology
  • Sheep, Bighorn / microbiology
  • Sheep, Bighorn / parasitology
  • Sheep, Bighorn / virology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral

Grants and funding

Funding was provided by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.