Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in an organised goat farm of Tamil Nadu

A detailed systematic approach on the disease dynamics, differential diagnosis and control measures adopted in an outbreak of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in an organised goat farm located at Kattupakkam (Tamil Nadu) has been reported. The outbreak occurred during April to June 2014 among 60 newly purchased adult non-descript goats. The clinical signs were profuse bilateral mucous discharge, respiratory distress with abnormal respiratory sounds. On post-mortem gross lesions were fibrinous pleurobronchopneumonia with extensiveness of the lesions involving all lobes of either one or both lungs, thickened interlobular septae. The samples were found negative for peste des petitis ruminants virus by polymerase chain reaction. Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae or F-38 was isolated from clinical (n=20) and necropsy samples (n=25) of goats. The characteristic restriction enzyme cleavage pattern of M. capripneumoniae, differentiated it from the other members of M. mycoides cluster. The disease outbreak of caprine mycoplasmosis was contained soon after identification of the etiological agent by adopting proper control and preventive measures.