Federal State

Thuringia

Project Title

Vaccination as a tool to reduce the incidence of paratuberculosis in dairy goat flocks (OG: ParaVac)

Project description

Paratuberculosis is endemic in Germany. The causative agent is Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The disease increasingly causes health problems in dairy goat flocks and consequently, impairs the economics of the affected farms. Effective measures for paratuberculosis reduction and control therefore promote the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises.
A Thuringian dairy goat farm, the Thuringian Animal Health Fund and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut started a research collaboration to answer the following questions:
- does vaccination in combination with hygiene and management measures reduce the incidence of paratuberculosis in dairy goats,
- is this at least in part due to reduced lactogen shedding,
- how high are the economic consequences of paratuberculosis in dairy goat flocks.

Final report

Results and the Final report will be found here, as soon as the project is completed.

Results focusing on practiceorientation

The following results of the project are anticipated:
- Scientific evidence, whether vaccination of dairy goats is a suitable measure to reduce the incidence of infections with MAP.
- Quantitative data about the level of risk that infected goats shed MAP lactogen and, if this risk can be reduced by vaccination.
- Recommendations for effective control measures for paratuberculosis in dairy goat farms.
- Quantitative data about the economic losses in MAP infected goats.

Main funding source

Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013)

Project status

ongoing

Total budget applied for in EUR

235,373

Link 1

project poster

Link 2

Thüringer Tierseuchenkasse - Project ParaVac

Link 3

Farm

NUTS3 CODE

DEG0P - Wartburgkreis, DEG03 - Jena, Kreisfreie Stadt