Line Photo of Johnes PortraitWhat is Johnes disease and can sheep get it?
Johne’s (pronounced “Yo-nees”) disease is a contagious, slowly developing and fatal bacterial disease of the intestinal tract. A German veterinarian first described it in a dairy cow in 1895 and the disease was named after him. The disease is also called paratuberculosis. Johne’s disease primarily occurs in domestic and wild ruminant species such as sheep, goats, cattle, bison, deer, llama, etc. It has also infrequently been reported in non-ruminant species e.g. rabbits, primates, fox and stoat.
