IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS MEASURES IN COMBATING THE ENZOOTIC FORM OF CONTAGIOUS AGALACTIA IN SHEEP
Nesim SEFERI, Besnik ELEZI, Emri MURATI, Besnik XHEZAIRI, Mesir SELIMI
Abstract
In 2016, a disease that had not appeared for several decades appeared in two localities of the Sharr Mountains. It was mastitis accompanied by a significant decrease in milk production, up to complete drying up. This had greatly worried the sheep owners of these villages, who were traditional breeders of sheep breeding for generations. Immediately, an on-site inspection of the sick sheep followed and, according to the symptoms and inspection of the udder and milk, it was a contagious agalactia disease caused by the microorganism of the mycoplasma genus, Mycoplasma agalactiae. This was then supplemented with the commercial ELISA serological test that is available for the detection of an antibody response to Mycoplasma agalactiae.
During this study, which was carried out between 2016 and 2021, we performed immunoprophylaxis in 5321 sheep with the Romanian-made vaccine Agalaxin 100 ml at a dose of 1 ml per head, twice a year. The vaccine is recommended for active immunization against contagious agalactia of sheep that are clinically healthy, both in unaffected herds and in those where the disease is developing. Immunity develops 21 days after the booster vaccination. The duration of immunity is 6 months after vaccination. To prevent the spread of the disease in unaffected herds, we also recommended the isolation of sick animals and the use of zoo hygienic measures, the removal of manure and rinsing the sheep's bedding with slaked lime. The results of the first year of vaccination were quite good, where the number of animals affected by contagious agalactia had decreased to 30% of the herd.
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