Combined Streptomycin-Isoniazid-Rifampin Therapy in the Treatment of Johne's Disease in a Goat.

Johne's disease (paratuberculosis) is an insidious, invariably fatal, chronic disease of ruminants. An increasing role for the goat as a companion animal as well as its commercial use stimulated interest in attempting to treat Johne's disease in this species. The disease tends to differ both clinically and pathologically in goats compared to cattle because the former species often has less severe intestinal involvement. It was, therefore, speculated that response to therapy may differ between cattle and goats. In addition, the combination drug regime of isoniazid, rifampin and streptomycin, widely accepted for human mycobacterial infections, has not been previously employed for treatment of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. The clinical course and pathological findings of a case of naturally occurring Johne's disease subsequent to a combined drug regime of isoniazid, rifampin and streptomycin is discussed.