What are the signs of Johnes disease?
Primarily, there are only two signs of M. paratuberculosis infection: diarrhea and rapid weight loss. In some animal species, like sheep and goats, diarrhea is less common. In general, animals with Johne’s disease “waste away” despite their continuing to eat well. Infected animals maintain a normal temperature but may appear unthrifty and can become weak in later stages of the infection. Because of the slowly progressive nature of the infection, signs of Johne’s disease are usually not seen until animals are adults. Since the signs of Johne’s disease can be confused with the signs of several other diseases, a diagnosis can be confirmed only by use of laboratory tests.
