Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Infectious diseases

Johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis) in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team6 peer-reviewed references
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Book a vet visit soon

Not usually an emergency, but it needs a diagnosis and a plan.

A chronic, incurable bacterial infection of the intestine that causes progressive weight loss. Camelids can show signs at a younger age and more rapidly than cattle.

Category
Infectious diseases
Urgency
Book a vet visit soon
Also called
Paratuberculosis, MAP

Signs & symptoms

  • Progressive weight loss despite good appetite
  • Loose feces or intermittent diarrhea (not always present)
  • Poor fleece quality
  • Low blood protein, swelling under the jaw

Related symptom guides: Alpaca Diarrhea (Loose Stool), Weight Loss, Swelling Under the Jaw (Bottle Jaw).

What causes it?

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), shed in feces of infected animals (including cattle, sheep and goats). Young animals are infected by swallowing contaminated feed, water, milk or colostrum.

Risk factors

  • Purchasing from untested herds
  • Grazing land previously used by infected cattle, sheep or goats
  • Feeding colostrum from unknown sources

How vets diagnose it

Fecal PCR or culture and blood ELISA; tests are imperfect and best used at herd level. Confirmed at necropsy.

Treatment

There is no effective treatment. Infected animals should be isolated and humanely culled to protect the herd.

Prevention

  • Buy from herds with a Johne's testing history
  • Quarantine and test new arrivals
  • Avoid co-grazing with ruminants of unknown status
  • Use colostrum only from known, healthy sources

Background

Paratuberculosis is a contagious, chronic and sometimes fatal infection that primarily affects the small intestine of ruminants. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Infections normally affect ruminants, but have also been seen in a variety of nonruminant species, including rabbits, foxes, and birds. Horses, dogs, and nonhuman primates have been infected experimentally. Paratuberculosis is found worldwide, with some states in Australia being the only areas proven to be free of the disease. At least in Canada, the signs of BJD usually start when cattle are four to seven years of age, and then usually only are diagnosed in one animal at a time. Cattle "with signs of Johne's disease shed billions of bacteria through their manure and serve as a major source of infection for future calves."From Wikipedia — “Paratuberculosis”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 33 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. Infectious diseases of New-World camelids (NWC). Thedford TR, Johnson LW The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1989. PubMed 2647231 · DOI · cited 25×
  2. Dynamic of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in a domestic-wildlife interface: Domestic sheep and guanaco as reservoir community. Corti P, Collado B, Salgado M et al. Transboundary and emerging diseases, 2022. PubMed 34347393 · DOI · cited 11×
  3. Occurrence of viral and bacterial pathogens in South American camelids in representative German flocks. Menge C, Barth SA, Bartl EM et al. Frontiers in veterinary science, 2026. PubMed 41908956 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 2×
  4. Paratuberculosis in South American camelids: two independent cases in alpacas in Germany. Köhler H, Müller J, Kloß E et al. BMC veterinary research, 2024. PubMed 39633368 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 4×
  5. Paratuberculosis in small ruminants, deer, and South American camelids. Stehman SM The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1996. PubMed 8828115 · DOI · cited 50×
  6. A Literature Review of Selected Bacterial Diseases in Alpacas and Llamas-Epidemiology, Clinical Signs and Diagnostics. Konieczny K, Pomorska-Mól M Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2023. PubMed 38200776 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 12×

Frequently asked questions

What is johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis) in alpacas?
A chronic, incurable bacterial infection of the intestine that causes progressive weight loss. Camelids can show signs at a younger age and more rapidly than cattle.
What are the signs of johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis)?
Progressive weight loss despite good appetite, loose feces or intermittent diarrhea (not always present), poor fleece quality and low blood protein, swelling under the jaw.
How do you prevent johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis)?
Buy from herds with a Johne's testing history. Quarantine and test new arrivals. Avoid co-grazing with ruminants of unknown status.
Is johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis) an emergency?
Book a vet visit soon. Not usually an emergency, but it needs a diagnosis and a plan.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.