Pilot study on risk factors associated with caseous lymphadenitis and its seasonal prevalence in the Korean native goat

Abstract

Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), a chronic infectious disease that affects small ruminants (Kaba et al, 2011), is caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (C. pseudotuberculosis). In addition to goats, other farm animals can also suffer from this debilitating or recurring disease (Dorella et al, 2006). It can manifest as abscesses in subcutaneous lymph nodes or as subclinical infections in internal lymph nodes and organs, such as the lungs, liver, and kidneys (Fontaine and Baird, 2008). CLA infection in goats is influenced by several environmental factors, including inadequate hygiene, herd size, housing conditions, and open skin wounds of the animals (Thongkwow et al, 2019). This infection can cause financial losses to the goat industry, affect animal health, downgrade carcass value, and increase inspection and trimming costs during slaughter (Barnabé et al, 2020). Korean native goats (KNG) are indigenous breeds of goats in Korea known for their high productivity. Traditionally, they have been raised on native grass and agricultural byproducts in the mountains (Kim et al, 2019). However, the recent increase in goat husbandry activities (Kim et al, 2021) and KNG meat consumption (Jeong et al, 2006) has led to the growth and expansion of goatKJVS