Contagious ecthyma outbreak among goats at Nilgiri hills

Contagious ecthyma is a highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats, caused by Parapoxvirus. In the present outbreak over a range of 3 km radius in a hamlet near Ooty town in the Nilgiris hills, a total of 174 out of 194 non-descript goats were clinically affected with the symptoms of pyrexia (40 degrees C), anorexia, depression, proliferative scab lesions on the skin around the mouth, oral commissures and nostrils. The morbidity rate was 89.7% without mortality. The symptoms were suggestive of contagious ecthyma. The disease was confirmed by agar gel immunodiffusion test, counter immunoelectrophoresis, and by polymerase chain reaction. Affected goats were treated with antibiotics, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory and vitamin B complex injections parenterally. Commercially available herbal topical spray (Topicure (R)) and/or neem leaf and turmeric paste was applied to alleviate the skin lesions. Affected goats were recovered in 4 to 5 weeks. This paper reports the first incidence of contagious ecthyma outbreak in goats during rainy season of the year in high altitude (the Nilgiri hills), Tamil Nadu.