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CONTAGIOUS PUSTULAR DERMATITIS IN GOATS
[Vol. XXVIII, Pt. IV,
by infecting a sheep with the human material and by cross immunity tests. Pask
et al. [1951] reported the successful transmission of contagious ecthyma from sheep
to man, in 23 out of 46 attempts, to 18 human beings. The more severe lesions
developed after an incubation period of four to six days, reached a maximum in
17 to 21 days and healed with the separation of scabs in 22 to 28 days. There was
no constitutional disturbance. Clinically and histologically, the lesions were broadly
similar to experimental lesions in sheep. Passage of virus back to sheep was success-
ful in one out of seven mild infections tested.
Marrone [1948] described an outbreak of contagious ecthyma in which about
60 goats were affected. He mentioned that the sheep housed in the same pens with
goats remained healthy. He suggested that the two species might have different
susceptibility and adaptation to the virus. He failed to transmit the disease to
dogs but was able to set up the infection in rabbits. Bennett et al. [1944] and
Selbie [1944] also reported the transmission of the disease to rabbits.
In the present case, the senior author while working as Assistant Disease In-
vestigation Officer, Punjab, recorded the disease at the Government Livestock Farm,
Hissar. Two outbreaks of the disease were investigated : (i) in the months of
July and August, 1953, amongst Betal female kids, from 4 to 6 months in age, kept
at the Thaska block and (ii) amongst Betal goats and kids at the goat breeding
section of the Farm. As a general routine, the kids at the Farm are weaned at the
age of 3 months. The disease affected 16 animals out of 44 present at the Thaska
block in the 1953 outbreak. In the 1956 outbreak, the disease affected eight
adult goats, and 14 kids, age below four months, of the goat breeding section.
Symptoms
The symptoms observed were cutaneous eruptions on both the lips,
particularly near the angles of mouth, eyelids and ears. Lesions were also
observed on other parts of the body. In the case of goats, udder and teats exhi-
bited eruptions. The lesions started as small red spots, raised in the centre, and
were followed by the formation of vesicles and pustules. These ruptured later on
and gave rise to thick wart-like brown crusts which fell off in about a fortnight.
In some cases, the crusts fused together and a single thick-crusted lesion was formed
on a comparatively extensive area. The kids were off food and dull for some days
in the early stages during the course of the disease, which lasted for about three
weeks. In the 1953 outbreak, the disease was of moderate severity and two animals
out of 16 affected (12.5 per cent) died. The 1956 outbreak was severe and the
disease proved fatal in eight kids. The infection was not noticed in attendants
looking after the affected animals.
Investigation
(a) Transmission experiment: Two male kids, No. 26 and 664, two male
lambs, No. 127 and 53, and two female calves, No. 38 and 137, obtained from the
healthy blocks at the Farm were inoculated by the scarification method with the
emulsion prepared from the scabs and swabs collected from the affected cases.
The animals were kept under observation for 13 days following inoculation, and
their temperature and condition was noted every morning. The eruptions started
appearing from the fourth to the seventh day after inoculation. The disease was
successfully transmitted in two kids, two lambs and one calf out of the two inoculated.