California Goats with a Disease Resembling Enzootic Ataxia or Swayback

Abstract

In a retrospective study typical signs and lesions of enzootic ataxia or swayback were found in 16 young dairy goats from eight widely scattered herds in California. In addition to the constant appearance of chromatolytic neurons in brainstem and spinal cord, and myelin deficiency in certain tracts of the cord, cerebellar hypoplasia was found frequently. Liver copper was subnormal in six of nine kids tested. The disease is viewed as a developmental defect in which failure of neuronal perikaryon metabolism leads to distal axonopathy with secondary demyelination.