Caseous Lymphadenitis or CL in Goats
In the world of goat farming, there's an unspoken bond that forms between keepers and their caprine companions. It's a bond forged through the daily routines of feeding, grooming, and the occasional chase around the pasture. But like any relationship, it's not always smooth sailing. Enter Caseous Lymphadenitis or CL in goats, often referred to simply as CL, is a silent menace that can threaten the harmony of your goat herd. Whether you're a seasoned goat enthusiast or just starting your journey in goat keeping, understanding CL is essential to ensuring the health and longevity of your goats. In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive deep into the world of Caseous Lymphadenitis in goats, uncovering its mysteries, exploring its impact, and most importantly, equipping you with the knowledge to protect your beloved caprines from this formidable adversary. So, let's embark on this enlightening journey together, as we unravel the complexities of CL and learn how to safeguard the well-being of our treasured goats.
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I am not a veterinarian, this is only an example of what we do with our animals. Please consult your vet before making any health decisions with your animals.
What is CL in goats?
CL or Caseous Lymphadenitis is caused by a bacteria called Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. This bacteria exists all around the world and most commonly infects sheep, goats, cows, and horses.
CL is not curable, but there are some procedures you can take to treat/prevent the disease from spreading through your herd. I will cover that in my next post.
What does CL look like in goats?
CL most commonly presents itself as a pussy abscess in the areas of the lymph nodes shown in the illustration below.
Not all abscesses are CL. We had a buckling get an abscess on his spine/back and I panicked! It turns out he must have had a thorn embedded in his skin. We had a vet test the area and everything came back fine.
With CL the abscesses present in the areas shown below. In the beginning, the CL abscess will start to form and become a hard knot. As the abscess grows larger, the abscess will soften, and the hair on the area will begin to fall out right before the abscess ruptures.
Where CL gets tricky is that some goats carry the pathogen but do not show visible abscesses. This could be because the abscesses are internal, sometimes forming on the inside of udders or in the lungs. Or it could be because the disease is not developed enough yet for the abscesses to form. It can take months from the time of infection for the first abscess to appear.
For this reason, I would never drink milk from a goat who tests positive for CL.
On a positive note, it has been shown that most goats show abscesses on the exterior of their body, whereas sheep are more likely to have internal abscesses.
The CL abscess in goats
The puss from a CL abscess will be yellow/white in color and thick like the consistency of toothpaste. It can also appear lumpy like cottage cheese. It often has an odor.
The goat forms an abscess around the bacteria to isolate it from the rest of the goat's body. The bacteria is encapsulated in tissue to prevent it from traveling through the bloodstream.
Thankfully we have never encountered CL in our herd, so I do not have personal images to share with you. The following images are from WikiCommons and are of an infected sheep. The abscesses would present the same in a goat. Photo credit: By Lucyin - Own work
Other symptoms of CL in goats
weight loss
cough or respiratory issues
nasal discharge
rapid heartbeat
raspy/labored breathing
lameness
fever
swelling in the neck and cheek area
How does a goat get CL?
For a goat to contract CL it must have a cut, scratch, or lesion. Pus from a CL abscess must enter this lesion. So an infected goat would have to have a ruptured abscess exposing the infected pus and bacteria, and then this would have to get on the wound of another goat.
If the bacteria gets into the lungs it can spread through saliva droplets and coughing.
Goat kids can contract CL from drinking milk from a mother goat with a ruptured internal abscess in her udder.
Goats can also contract CL through infected soil, fences, feed buckets, etc. If an abscess ruptures anywhere the pus is distributed becomes infected. If you own goats you know how active they are and how they like to rub on things. A ruptured abscess will infect the entire living quarters.
They can also contract CL through insects that fly onto an infected surface (maybe a couple of farms over) and then land on the wound of one of your goats.
Can humans get CL from goats?
There are rumors floating around the internet that people have contracted CL. I remember reading several years ago that a group of sheep shearers in New Zealand (I believe it was) contracted CL from a herd of infected sheep. However, as of September 2021, there have been no "documented cases" of humans contracting Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) directly from goats.
The infected pus from a ruptured abscess would have to enter through an open wound. So what I take from this is that it's possible but very rare.
However, it is essential to practice good hygiene and safety measures when handling goats or other livestock to minimize any potential risks.
Although CL has not been reported to be directly transmissible to humans, goat farmers and individuals in close contact with goats should take some precautions:
- Hygiene Practices: After handling goats or being in their vicinity, washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water is essential. This practice reduces the risk of any potential transmission of bacteria or other pathogens from the animals to humans.
- Protective Clothing: When working with goats or other livestock, consider wearing protective clothing, such as gloves and coveralls. This further reduces the chance of direct contact with potentially infectious materials.
- Avoiding Open Wounds: If you have any open wounds or cuts on your hands or skin, avoid direct contact with the animals and their bodily fluids.
- Prompt Medical Attention: If you experience any unusual symptoms after interacting with goats, such as redness, swelling, or an infection that does not heal, seek medical attention promptly.
How long does CL live on surfaces/in the soil?
CL can live in the soil from 6 months to up to 2 years.
What areas of the world is CL present in goats?
The CL bacteria are found all over the world, however, the disease seems to be most prevalent in the southwestern United States, Australia, and Brazil.
The northern climate sees fewer cases of CL probably due to our winters where biting insects die and cannot spread disease during these months.
However, documented cases occur all over the world.
How to test for CL in your goat herd
Each year we do a blood test on our animals to test for common diseases. CL is one of those diseases.
See my posts:
How to Send a Goat Blood Sample
The blood test that's available does not test for a current infection in a goat. It tests for antibodies to the CL bacteria.
Some goats may have been exposed to the CL and their immune systems were able to learn what the bacteria were and how to fight them before an infection occurred. These antibodies will show up in the CL test and that goat will test positive, even though it is perfectly healthy.
Also, any goats that have been vaccinated for CL (I'll cover this in a future post) will test positive for CL antibodies.
The antibody test is not always 100 percent accurate. It is possible to get a false negative. However, we will continue to test our herd each year as I feel that the test results still hold value, especially if our herd tests negative over and over again each year.
A more accurate test is to test the pus from an abscess. If your goat has an abscess a veterinarian can take a sample and send it to a lab.
If you don't have a livestock veterinarian in your area. Contact a livestock laboratory or your local county extension office and ask what the procedure is. While we've never had a case of CL on our farm, we use SAGE Laboratories or our closest university (Michigan State) for lab tests.
Goats under 8 months should not be tested as they will show a negative result.
CL in your goat herd
The difficult thing about CL is that there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to diagnosing and controlling this disease. You can do everything right and still get CL in your herd. Unfortunately, it is a part of goat rearing. What you can do is research and learn so that you can make the best educated guess for your herd.
A positive CL lab result does not mean an automatic death sentence for your goat. If you read about CL on the internet you will see that many people recommend culling the animal and any subsequent animals that may have come in contact with that goat or its living space.
However, there are a few different avenues you can take depending on what stage your goat is in the disease.
I will cover treatment options and prevention measures in a future post so check back soon!
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