# Sexually Transmitted Diseases



## Qadosh Adamah Lamanchas (Nov 2, 2012)

I spoke with a woman who had to butcher her entire herd because she said they all got a sexually transmitted disease from a buck she used. I didn't think to ask her what the disease was, but it got me to thinking if there's any diseases among goats that can be classifieds as STD's?


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## Junkscouts (Jul 18, 2010)

It was probably CAE. I don't know what the exact definition of STD is but CAE can and is spread during breeding. Probably any virus that is spread by blood to blood contact would be considered a STD but I'm not an expert.


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## Qadosh Adamah Lamanchas (Nov 2, 2012)

If that's the case, can a negative buck who breeds a positive doe contract CAE himself and become positive?


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

No CAE is not considered an STD. There is no proof that a postive buck can infect a negative doe or a positive doe a negative buck.

I'm not sure what disease she would have had that would cause her to kill her entire herd. Most STD's are curable with antibiotic treatments. I'm sure someone who knows will post an answer here soon.


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## Junkscouts (Jul 18, 2010)

I'm glad someone corrected me, I was sure it was spread through intercourse as well as through milk. I was going by what people have told me and what I have read (possibly incorrectly read) and not personal experience, so I apologize for any incorrect information. I just assumed because people are so careful about testing before breeding their animals to someone else's animals that it is transferred during intercourse. Even with the the statements below I don't think I would breed any negative animals to untested or positive animals, but I may be paranoid.

This site: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/caefaq.aspx says " The CAE virus is intimately associated with white blood cells; therefore, any body secretions which contain blood cells are potential sources of virus to other goats in the herd."

This site: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergingissues/downloads/prcaevinfosheet.pdf says "What routes of transmission are of concern to mature goats?...Milking machines, contaminated hands and hand towels, leaky udders, contaminated tools (such as needles, tattoo tools and dehorners), estrous mucus, prepuce mucus, semen, and saliva and nasal secretions from bucks may be vehicles of transmission, although clear-cut evidence of transmission via these routes has not been established." "Can CAEV be transmitted in semen?
CAEV was isolated from parts of the semen of experimentally infected bucks in 1998. However, it must be emphasized that the infection in these bucks was experimental, not natural. One year later in 1999, it was shown that semen from naturally infected bucks can become contaminated with CAEV. At the present time, there is no evidence that bucks transmit the infection to does via semen, but an appropriate level of caution must be taken by producers when using natural or assisted reproduction with semen from seropositive bucks."

One more: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/55000.htm says "Unlikely methods of transmission, as indicated by experimental studies, include in utero transmission to the fetus, infection of the kid during parturition, and infection through breeding or embryo transfer. "


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

IF the list is correct, how on earth were we able to clean our herds back in the late 80's and early 90's of CAE just by heat treating and pasteurization? Most of what you find is what they were able to do in a lab...sure you can pass CAE in a lab. And why would a buck have white blood cells in his semen or ejaculate?

The only STD I can even think that makes you put your herd down, would be the state vet coming in because you have a diagnosis of Q Fever.

There are lots of STD's most cause abortion, chlamydia, mycoplasma, and why you have to be super careful with cases of pinkeye during breeding season, both can
start as pinkeye, pnemonia or mastitis. Most do not clean sheaths of our bucks like they do in horses, which would stop all of this in it's tracks. Heavily used bucks should be put on rounds of tetracycline after breeding season also. Vicki


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