Occurrence of contagious ecthyma with uncommon tongue lesions in an organized goat farm in Tamil Nadu

Contagious ecthyma (CE) is an acute, contagious, and economically important zoonotic viral disease of sheep, goats, and some other domesticated and wild ruminants. An outbreak of contagious ecthyma (CE) was investigated in an organized goat farm in Nenmeni, Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, presenting uncommon clinical lesions. Among 21 recently introduced adult goats, 16 (76.19%) exhibited severe symptoms, including swollen lips, gingivitis, and ulceration with scab formation, primarily around the mouth and oral cavity. Uncommon lesions on the dorsal tongue surface were also observed. Scab samples from affected goats tested positive for the CE virus via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the GF/IL2 gene, confirming the outbreak. Washing lesions with a 3% iodine solution and administering enrofloxacin effectively controlled secondary infections, ensuring rapid recovery.