Vaccination against various viral and bacterial diseases
Regarding vaccinations in our country, the vaccine regimens that can be administered to sheep and goats based on the available commercial vaccine formulations per disease are the following:
Enterotoxemia (including other clostridial infections)
Vaccination in lambs and goats at the age of 2 and 3 months and repeated in 3-4 weeks.
Adult females should get vaccinated twice 6-8 weeks and 3-4 weeks before the expected births or alternatively 2-4 weeks before the expected births and a repeat vaccination every 6 months.
Infectious agalactia (Mycoplasma agalactiae)
Double vaccination in lambs and goats at the age of 4 and 5 months. Repeat annually.
Chlamydia or Enzootic elimination (Chlamydophila spp)
Single vaccination in all females a month before mating.
Pasteurization or Enzootic Pneumonia (Mannheimia spp)
Double vaccination with an interval of 2-4 weeks, usually during the dry season.
Paratuberculosis (Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis)
Single vaccination in lambs and goats at an age of up to 30 days old. Vaccination is done only on infected animals.
Infectious exudate (Parapoxvirus)
Simple annual vaccination at any time, except for the last 7 weeks before females giving birth.
Infectious foot dermatitis (Dichelobacter nodosus)
Double vaccination with an interval of 3-4 weeks in between and repeat every 4 months.
Mastitis due to Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus, pectase positive) and other environmental staphylococci (CNS = pectase negative)
Double vaccination with an interval of 2-4 weeks, usually during the dry season. Autogenous vaccines also generate satisfactory results.
Brucellosis
This vaccination is done once in accordance with the national program and is mandatory in the farms of mainland Greece and the islands of Evia, Lesvos and Thasos, while in all other insular areas disease eradication takes place.
Deworming
The program of preventive deworming must be adjusted by the veterinarian, depending on the level of infection (after parasitological examination of the stool), topography (e.g. presence or absence of rivers or swamps) and epidemiological characteristics (e.g. manifestation of parasitic diseases
in nearby farms) in the area of the stable. Preventive deworming usually involves intestinal parasites (gastrointestinal nematodes), and is applied during the dry season because there is a waiting time for antiparasitic drugs in milk and the dose must be determined by the heaviest farm animal so that
no other animal is administered less than needed. The resistance of parasites to antiparasitic drugs is common, hence the scheme should provide for the regular change of the group of drugs, to have the desired therapeutic effect. In intensive breeding systems, the parasitic load should be determined by parasitological examination of the stool to select the appropriate treatment scheme.
Usual deworming
at the end of the milk production on all animals.
2-3 weeks before the expected births in all animals (combination with other vaccines)
Special deworming
This concerns any cases of
- diarrhea in young animals and the diagnosis requires a parasitological examination of the stool (possible causes granulomas, tapeworm) or
- the presence of ectoparasites (ticks, fleas) and are made depending on the weather conditions, when their seasonal appearance on animals begins.
The vet shall determine the type and scheme of the administration depending on the rearing needs.
No irrational use. Pay attention to the waiting times.
Biosafety measures, such as disinfection, enhance the effectiveness of the above.
Dr. Antonios Zdragkas
Director of Research
Dr. Smaragda Sotiraki
Director of Research
Dr. Ilias Bouzalas
Commissioned Researcher
