Sheep were domesticated around 9000 BC in the Middle East, and since then milk from sheep gradually became very popular, not only for drinking but also for making cheeses and other dairy products. Nowadays, these dairy products are also important for people with an allergy to cow milk, and these products are an essential part of the local daily diet in regions of the world that are not suitable for cows and goats. Consumption of raw milk and raw milk products has a zoonotic risk, and with regard to sheep, the main pathogens associated with such dairy products are: , spp., spp., spp., Shiga-toxin producing , , tick borne encephalitis virus, and . Especially, young children, elderly people, pregnant women and immunocompromised (YOPI) persons, and those suffering from disease should be aware of the risk of consuming raw milk and raw milk products. This latter risk can be reduced by proper flock health management, prevention of contamination during milking, adequate milk processing, transport, and refrigerated storage. Only processes equaling pasteurization sufficiently reduce zoonotic risks from milk and milk products, but proper cooling is essential and recontamination must be prevented. Therefore, strict hygiene practices throughout the production process and supply chain especially for raw milk and raw dairy products, should be applied. Small scale production systems pose a greater risk compared to industrialized production systems because of a less protocolized and controlled production process. This manuscript describes zoonotic risks of pathogens from sheep and their milk borne transmission. Additionally, routes of contamination, possibilities for multiplication, and prevention measures thereof are described. We summarize some major human outbreaks caused by consumption of sheep milk and products made thereof, and finally discuss their implications.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the efficacy of chitosan oligosaccharide administrations in different doses of experimental infected lambs with . 32 male lambs were used in the study and the lambs were divided into 4 groups with 8 lambs in each group. Groups 1, 2 and 3, twice a day, were administered chitosan oligosaccharide at a dose of 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for 7 days, respectively, with milk replacer. In group 4, lambs with cryptosporidiosis were subjected to normal feeding as control without drug administration. Clinical examinations of lambs were made before treatment (day 0) and on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 after treatment and 5 ml of blood was collected from vena jugularis for blood analysis of all lambs. Weight changes of lambs were recorded at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. Stool specimens were collected pre-treatment (day 0) and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 post-treatment to determine oocyst excretion of lambs with cryptosporidiosis. Lambs with a mean oocyte counts >10 after stool examination were included to the treatment. Changes in clinical hematology, blood gases and biochemical parameters were observed during the course of treatment, but these changes were limited. Weight loss was observed at 7th day according to 0th day the lambs with experimental cryptosporidiosis but gradually weight increase was observed at 14th and 21st days and these changes were similar in all groups. Oocyst excretion decreased in all groups during treatment. According to 0th day, there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in oocyte excretions in the third day in group 1 and 2, and in day 5 in the group 3 and 4. Significant changes (p < 0.05) were observed in oocyst excretions on the third and fifth days among the groups. As a result, in lambs with experimental cryptosporidiosis, chitosan oligosaccharide improved in clinical signs and stool character shorter than the positive control group and the administration of chitosan oligosaccharide at doses of 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg for 7 days significantly reduced oocyst excretion but not enough to remove cryptosporidiosis completely.

Goats are adaptable to varied farming environments and contribute significantly towards sustainable livestock production and food security. Selective breeding of goats for improved performance is an important component of sustainable production. The objectives of the present study were to determine the most appropriate models of analysis for growth traits, to estimate genetic parameters, survival potential of kids from birth to 12 months of age and to estimate genetic trends for growth traits of Jamunapari kids at different ages. Genetic parameter estimates were obtained from 6590 records generated between 1982 and 2012 from 5922 animals with a pedigree covering over 13 generations. The most parsimonious model for early growth traits included permanent environmental effects due to the dam (PE) and litter effects. Similarly, the most appropriate model for early average daily gain (ADG) between birth and 3 or 6 months also included PE and litter effects. The estimates of heritability for survival from birth to 12 months of age ranged from 0.10 to 0.43. The estimates of heritability for ADG varied from 0.04 to 0.41. In general, higher estimates of heritability were observed when a sire model was fitted in the random effect. There was no genetic variation observed for survival between birth and 3 months of age. However, heritability estimates of between 0.18 and 0.39 were observed for survivability during post-weaning period to 12 months of age. The genetic trend at 9 months of age and 12 months of age was 0.144 kg 0.189 kg per year respectively. The genetic trend at all the ages was positive during the study period.

The Jamunapari goats are reared as dairy animals in semi-arid conditions, therefore it is necessary to evaluate the genetic potential for the genetic improvement of milk production traits. The data comprised of 2217 phenotypic records for milk yield at 90 days (MY90) and 140 days (MY140), total milk yield (TMY) and lactation length (LL) obtained from the progeny of 173 sires and 446 dams during the period 1990-2013. The data were analysed using mixed linear models exploring random effects due to direct additive, maternal and permanent environment variance due to animal. The most appropriate genetic models for milk yield traits were those that included permanent environment effects due to the animal. The direct additive heritability estimates were 0.15 ± 0.05, 0.26 ± 0.07, 0.25 ± 0.08 for MY90, MY140 and TMY, respectively. The additive heritability estimate for LL was low and non-significant at 0.02 ± 0.03. The repeatability estimates were moderate to high ranging from 0.68 to 0.73 for milk yield traits. The repeatability for lactation length was 0.20 ± 0.03. Maternal variances were low ranging from 0.03 for MY90 to 0.13 for TMY. There was an increase in mean milk yield of 0.25, 0.70 and 0.72 kg/year respectively at 90 and 140 days, and for TMY. Genetic trends and phenotypic trends for MY90, MY140 and TMY were positive and indicated significant improvement in milk traits due to selective breeding.

A longitudinal study was conducted in low-input low-output farming systems to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in different age groups, sex and associated risk factors in goats. A total of 580 indigenous goats were randomly selected in areas representing the five agro-ecological regions of Zimbabwe in the dry and wet seasons. Blood and faecal samples were collected from each animal and egg/oocyst per gram of faeces (epg/opg), larval culture, and packed cell volumes (PCV) were determined. Factors affecting parasitic infections were evaluated. Highest prevalence was determined for oocysts (43%), strongyles (31%) and lower levels in trematodes and cestodes. Parasites identified were and Area, season, sex and age significantly influenced patterns of gastrointestinal infections (  0.05). Cannonical correlations indicated that parasite species composition varied by area and impacts of risk factors also differed. Risk of infection was very high for goats sampled in Natural regions (NR) I, II, III (OR = 6.6-8.2;  < 0.05) as compared to those in NR IV and V. Highest helminths and infections were observed in the wet vs. dry season (  0.05). Young animals were more susceptible to parasitic infections (  0.05). Prevalence was higher in males than females, with odds of infection for males being almost three times to that for females (  0.0001). Knowledge concerning gastrointestinal helminth biology and epidemiological infection patterns caused by these parasites is essential in the development of appropriate control strategies and this has a potential to reduce production losses.

Objective of this paper was to review relevant work and to present a general account of the bluetongue outbreak, which occurred in Greece in 2014. In total, 2895 outbreaks of the disease have been reported by the veterinary authorities of Greece; sheep, goats and cattle were affected with officially reported morbidity rates of 11.0%, 2.0% and 3.5%, respectively. No vaccinations were allowed and conservative measures were implemented to attempt to limit the disease, which at the end had expanded throughout the country. In field investigations, a significantly higher bluetongue morbidity rate (27.5%) in sheep has been reported. During that work, clinical anaemia was encountered, which was characterised as macrocytic, hypochromic, regenerative and non-haemolytic. Other investigations, which are reviewed in this paper, have described an outbreak of -associated enteritis in newborn kids, offspring of goats subclinically infected with , increased rate of early embryonic deaths, reduced conception rates, increased incidence risk of mastitis and reduced milk yield in herds of subclinically-infected cattle and detection of the virus from hunter-harvested tissue samples of roe-deer. In 2015, vaccines against the disease have been licenced; vaccinations started in May 2015. Then, in 2015, only one outbreak of the disease was confirmed, which could have been the result of a combination of reasons acting concurrently to prevent further cases.

PPR is an important infectious viral disease of domestic and wild small ruminants, that threatens the food security and sustainable livelihood of farmers across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Europe is free of the disease except in Thrace (European part of Turkey) and Israel where outbreaks occur. Following the successful eradication of RPV, PPR has been targeted by the OIE and FAO as the next viral pathogen to be eradicated by 2030. However, the recent outbreaks in Northen Africa and Thrace (European part of Turkey) represent a significant threat to mainland Europe, as a source of disease spread. We have discussed here the emergence of PPR worldwide since its discovery with particular reference to the recent outbreaks in Northen Africa and Thrace, and the potential for spread of the disease into Europe.

Objectives of the present work were (i) to confirm pathogens implicated in cases of diarrhoea in newborn and young lambs in sheep farms in Greece and (ii) to investigate a possible relation in dissemination of pathogens between lambs and dogs present in the farm. Work was carried out in 22 sheep farms, with (i) flock size over 150 animals, (ii) presence of clinical signs of diarrhoea in lambs in the flock and (iii) close and continuous contact and movement of shepherd dogs within the animal shed of each farm. Faecal sample collection from lambs was performed within 48 h of onset of clinical signs and prior to administration of any antimicrobial or antiparasitic medication to lambs. Faecal samples were also collected from puppies in the farm. In total, samples were collected from 126 lambs and 58 puppies. Samples were processed by using established techniques for isolation of bacteria, detection of viruses and observation of protozoan oocycts. isolates obtained during the study, were tested for antimicrobial resistance against a variety of antimicrobial agents. In total, 236 bacterial isolates were recovered from faecal samples of lambs and 165 isolates from faecal samples of puppies. was the most frequently isolated microorganism: 104 isolates from lambs and 109 isolates from puppies were recovered. Other bacteria isolated were spp., spp., spp., (lambs and puppies), , , subsp (only lambs) and s spp. (only puppies). Group A was detected in samples from lambs (2.5%) and in samples from puppies (5%). spp. oocysts were observed in samples from lambs and puppies. This is the first report of isolation of subsp and of detection of from lambs in Greece. Rates of isolates from puppies resistant to antimicrobial agents were, in general, smaller than respective rates in isolates from lambs. Two pairs of isolates from the same farm (one from a lamb and one from a puppy) with identical patterns of resistance to antimicrobial agents were detected, which provides some evidence in support of a hypothesis that members of each pair might possibly have been spread from one animal species to the other.

Genetic sequences highly related to Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) were detected in fecal samples from Peruvian 1-3 week old alpaca crias located on six farms in Puno department, some of which shared pastures with cattle. A total of 60 samples were screened for coronavirus using a nested PCR amplification of a fragment of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. Sequences from 11 positive samples were highly similar to the Kakegawa, Quebec and Mebus BCoV strains (99.5-100.0%) and 99.2% identical to an alpaca Coronavirus (CoV) previously detected in the USA. The detection of genetic sequences related to BCoV from Peruvian alpaca crias suggests possible role of this virus on enteric disorders etiology in the High Andes.

Previous work showed that the Texel muscling QTL (TM-QTL) results in pronounced hypertrophy in the loin muscle, with the largest phenotypic effects observed in lambs inheriting a single copy of the allele from the sire. As the loin runs parallel to the spinal vertebrae, and the development of muscle and bone are closely linked, the primary aim of this study was to investigate if there were any subsequent associations between TM-QTL inheritance and underlying spine characteristics (vertebrae number, VN; spine region length, SPL; average length of individual vertebrae, VL) of the thoracic, lumbar, and thoracolumbar spine regions. Spine characteristics were measured from X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans for 142 purebred Texel lambs which had been previously genotyped. Least-squares means were significantly different between genotype groups for lumbar and thoracic VN and lumbar SPL. Similarly for these traits, contrasts were shown to be significant for particular modes of gene action but overall were inconclusive. In general, the results showed little evidence that spine trait phenotypes were associated with differences in loin muscling associated with the different TM-QTL genotypes.

Milk oligosaccharides (OS)-free complex carbohydrates-confer unique health benefits to the nursing neonate. Though human digestive enzymes cannot degrade these sugars, they provide nourishment to specific commensal microbes and act as decoys to prevent the adhesion of pathogenic micro-organisms to gastrointestinal cells. At present, the limited quantities of human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) impede research on these molecules and their potential applications in functional food formulations. Considerable progress has been made in the study of OS structures; however, the synthetic pathways leading to their synthesis in the mammary gland are poorly understood. Recent studies show that complex OS with fucose and -acetyl neuraminic acid (key structural elements of HMO bioactivity) exist in goat milk. Polymorphisms in the locus, which is responsible for synthesis of α-casein, affect lipid and casein micelle structure in goat milk. The present study sought to determine whether polymorphisms also influence goat milk oligosaccharide (GMO) production and secretion. The GMO compositions of thirty-two goat milk samples, half of which were from genotype A/A (α-casein producers) and half from genotype O/O (α-casein non-producers), were determined with nanoflow liquid chromatography high-accuracy mass spectrometry. This study represents the most exhaustive characterization of GMO to date. A systematic and comprehensive GMO library was created, consolidating information available in the literature with the new findings. Nearly 30 GMO, 11 of which were novel, were confirmed tandem mass spectrometric analyses. Six fucosylated OS were identified; 4 of these matched HMO compositions and three were identified for the first time in goat milk. Importantly, multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that the OS profiles of the A/A and O/O genotype milks could be discriminated by the fucosylated OS. Quantitative analysis revealed that the goat milk samples contained 1.17 g/L of OS; however, their concentration in milks from A/A and O/O genotypes was not different. This study provides evidence of a genetic influence on specific OS biosynthesis but not total OS production. The presence of fucosylated GMO suggests that goat milk represents a potential source of bioactive milk OS suitable as a functional food ingredient.

Cryptosporidiosis is an infection caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus which is responsible for a potentially severe disease in new-born ruminants. This infection is highly prevalent in small ruminants throughout the world, especially in pre-weaned animals. The clinical expression is different between goat kids and lambs, the infection being generally more severe in the former. Molecular data demonstrate geographical variations in the species of infecting small ruminants. They also support the possibility of transmission of zoonotic species from these hosts to humans. Studies are still needed on molecular epidemiology, especially in goats, and on ways to control infection.

This work investigated the link between the type of treatment and the clinical evolution of lambs suffering from diarrhoea attributed to non-enterotoxigenic . Two hundred and forty scouring lambs, and 25 healthy lambs selected as control, were used in this trial. The faecal samples from the scouring lambs were positive to non-enterotoxigenic . All the scouring lambs received supportive care and they were randomly allotted to two groups of 120 animals (treated group and untreated group). The lambs in the treated group were given two daily doses of 20 mg/kg live weight spectinomycin for 3 days, while the other group of lambs (untreated group) did not receive any antibiotic. Serum endotoxin was higher in the treated lambs. The combined infection of  +  was the most frequent microbiological result in the deceased treated lambs, while the only enteric pathogen isolated in the untreated lambs submitted to necroscopy was . The pathological findings most commonly recorded in the untreated lambs were suggestive of a generalized inflammatory process attributed to colibacilosis, while the lesions in the treated lambs might correspond to an enterotoxoemic process. The overproduction of might be consequence of the antibiotic treatment and it would be the most probable cause of the endotoxemia, the high mortality rate and the pathological findings in the treated lambs. Therefore, a supportive care without antibiotics does not lead to a poorer chance of survival in lambs with diarrhoea attributed to non-enterotoxigenic .

This study compares some etiological factors involved in the naturally occurrence of lamb scours in 18 Merino sheep farms randomly selected in the area of "La Serena" (Southwest Spain). A lack of influence of some variables (flock size, type of facilities, type of breeding, lambing percentage, isolation of , spp., spp. and spp.) on lamb mortality rate was detected. The opposite was true for cleaning of the lambing areas, organization of lambing periods, accumulation of lambs in the pens, high content of fat, protein and lactose in milk and low serum gamma globulin and total protein in lambs and ewes. spp. and isolation showed a trend to be linked to the presence of diarrhoea. A positive correlation was found between serum total protein in ewes and serum gamma globulin in lambs. Thus, the measure of serum total protein in ewes before lambing would be a valuable indicator of the risk of lamb scouring and it would be useful to establish an adequate programme to prevent this condition in the farms of this geographical area.

Diarrhea is an important cause of morbidity in neonatal llamas and alpacas. Diarrhea may be multifactorial in etiology including management and nutritional factors as well as a variety of pathogens. Most of the pathogens involved affect other livestock species and some have host-adapted strains. However, the clinical signs, their expected severity and age of onset of disease varies between species in some cases. The most common pathogens causing diarrhea in neonatal camelids are coronavirus, (), spp., spp. and coccidia. The purpose of this paper is to review the available literature on neonatal diarrhea in camelids and to present clinical data from 55 cases seen at The Ohio State University.

Biosecurity on South American camelid operations involves both external and internal measures to prevent the introduction and spread of disease. External biosecurity involves practices and techniques directed at the prevention of entry of new diseases into a group of animals. Internal biosecurity or biocontainment, involves practices and techniques that are directed at the prevention or spread of disease within an existing group of animals. External biosecurity is particularly important in North America camelid operations due to the extensive movement of animals for breeding or show purposes. Internal biosecurity typically involves this the prevention and treatment of failure of passive transfer, maintenance of proper nutrition and housing, and the implementation of an appropriate vaccination program for endemic or relevant diseases. Attention to appropriate cleaning and disinfection procedures related to housing, feeding, and treatment equipment is important for the maintenance of both internal and external biosecurity practices. This paper discusses various risk factors associated with the control of infectious disease in the context of external and internal biosecurity measures in camelids operations.

One hundred and twenty-nine faecal samples, collected over a period of 1 year, from 96 diarrhoeic and 33 non-diarrhoeic lambs aged between 0 and 3 months were examined for presence of rotavirus and (). Group A rotavirus was detected in 24 (25%) of diarrhoeic lambs using sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and ribonucleic acid-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (RNA-PAGE). Statistically no significant relation was found between rotavirus infection and age of the lambs. The prevalence of group A rotavirus was more related to meterological changes than age of the lambs as the number of diarrhoeic lambs with rotavirus infection was found to increase in spring months during which temperature and humidity ranged between 7.34 and 28.9 °C and 34.28 and 82.58%, respectively. The migration pattern of ovine rotavirus RNA in PAGE was typical of mammalian group A rotaviruses. O25, O26, O30, O43, O75, O76, O102, O113, O132, O153 and O157 serogroups were isolated from diarrhoeic lambs positive for rotavirus infection while as O8, O20, O21, O26, O39, O43, O45, O69, O75, O82, O104, O107, O113, O120, O127, O139, O141, O143, O153 and O157 serogroups of were isolated from diarrhoeic lambs without rotavirus infection. O8, O21, O43, O82, O104, O113, O120, O127, O132 and O139 serogroups, recovered from diarrhoeic faecal samples with or without rotavirus, were positive for congo red dye binding activity. O88, O113, O157 and O168 serogroups were isolated from non-diarrhoeic faecal samples out of which O88 and O168 were congo red positive. None of the lambs without diarrhoea carried rotavirus infection. Group B rotavirus infection commonly reported in diarrhoeic lambs outside India was not detected in any of the faecal samples screened.

Data on 298 lambs from 161 ewes of the Barbados Blackbelly breed from 1982 to 1985 at the Blenheim Sheep Station in Tobago were studied to determine the influence of lambing season-year, sex and type of birth on body weights of lambs at birth, at 56 days (weaning) and 6 months of age, preweaning daily gain and mortality. The effect of the lambing season-year on litter size (total number of lambs born, born alive and weaned per ewe lambing) and total lamb weight at weaning were examined. The flock averages for body weights of lambs at birth, at 56 days and 6 months of age, preweaning daily gain and mortality were 2.75, 10.8, 19.2, 0.152kg, and 18.3%, respectively. Averages for total number of lambs born, born alive and weaned were 1.92, 1.88, 1.51, respectively, and total lamb weight at weaning was 16.7kg. The lambing season-year effect was apparent for all traits studied except for litter size and lamb mortality. Sex of lamb was not a significant source of variation. Type of birth had significant effect on lamb growth traits and total lamb weight at weaning. Single born lambs were heavier than those born as twins or more. Ewes with triplets or more weaned 21kg lamb weight compared to 18 and 12kg for twins and singles, respectively. Lamb mortality was 27.8% for those with below average birth weight and 8.8% for those with above average birth weight (P<0.05).

Growth performance of 168 Awassi (A), Morkaraman (M), Tushin (T) purebred lambs and their crosses AxM, MxT, AxM and TxM reared under semi-intensive management in Turkey were evaluated. The lambs grazed on pasture for 84 days and were provided with a concentrate diet (1.5-2.0% of their live weight). Birth weight and average daily weight gain during the pre-grazing period for M, A, T, MxT, AxM and TxM crossbred lambs were 2.91, 3.61, 3.70, 4.30, 2.63, and 3.79kg and 186, 129, 160, 160, 163, and 168g, respectively. Corresponding estimates were 20, 15, 15, 17, 20 and 19kg for initial fattening weight; 168, 169, 160, 176, 174 and 184g for average daily weight gain on fattening, and 34, 30, 28, 32, 35, and 34kg for final fattening weight, respectively. The amounts of concentrate consumed per kg weight gain in addition to grazing on pasture for purebred and crossbred lambs were 1.89, 1.86, and 1.97 and, 1.78, 1.82, and 1.71kg, respectively. The genotype of lamb and type of birth significantly affected the birth weight. Besides the genotype and the type of birth, age of dam and sex had a significant influence on the average daily weight gain during the pre-grazing period. Average daily weight gain during the fattening period was significantly affected by sex.

Based on lectin histochemical methods, this study describes the production and distribution of various terminal sugars in the integument of Merino sheep and Angora goats. Additionally, pH measurements were performed for information about environmental conditions of microbes on the skin surface and in the fleece. The results demonstrated strongly positive reactions for alpha-L-fucose in the stratum corneum of Merino sheep, and in the secretions of the skin glands of Angora goats. Moreover, alpha-D-mannose, beta-D-N-acetylglucosamine, alpha-D-N-acetylgalactosamine, alpha-D-galactose and beta-D-galactose were very distinct in the secretions of the skin glands of both species. The skin products containing saccharide residues are deposited on the skin surface and in the fleece as part of wool grease, and the terminal sugars may be liberated by bacterial and fungal activities. All of these sugars are of specific interest because of their ability of inhibiting the adherence of different bacteria and fungi to the epidermal cells. Thus, free sugars impede attacks of skin micro-inhabitants against the integrity of the epidermal barrier. In contrast to these results, the skin pH-conditions were strongly alkaline, particularly in the fleece of Merino sheep (pH 6-9), so that proliferation of microbes may be promoted. This negative influence can only be countered by high production rates of sugar-containing skin products, which is normally the case based on long and intense activity of hair follicles in fine-wool producing sheep and goats.In conclusion, this study demonstrates that a basic anti-microbial biological system exists on the skin surface and within the hair coat, that operates with free sugars before the immune system is activated.

Spring rebreeding activity was investigated in 44 multiparous Awassi ewes allocated to one of three treatments. The first treatment entailed ewes suckling lambs for 45 days and then continuously exposed to fertile rams (Group 1); ewes of the second group were weaned at 14 days of age and then were either exposed continuously (Group 2) or intermittently (Group 3) to rams. Time of weaning and type of exposure to the ram did not influence the reproductive performance in terms of fertility and prolificacy in postpartum Awassi ewes. Time of weaning did not influence serum LH concentrations monitored at 3h intervals in Groups 1 and 2. However, serum prolactin (PRL) concentrations were significantly higher in Group 1, compared to Group 2 of ewes. Serum LH levels at weaning were significantly higher in ewes that conceived and lambed, compared to ewes that did not. It was concluded that spring rebreeding of postpartum Awassi ewes did not respond to ram presence and/or early weaning in terms of improved reproductive performance. The lack of reproductive response was further reflected in LH and PRL profiles.