Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a cause of major economic losses to goat producers in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Disease is caused by members of the Mycoplasma genus – usually "Mycoplasma capricolum" subsp. "capricolum" but sometimes by "M. mycoides" subsp. "capri" or "M. mycoides" subsp. "mycoides". It is extremely contagious with very high morbidity and mortality rates, causing an interstitial fibrinous pleuropneumonia in infected goats. Infection is spread by close-contact aerosol, therefore overcrowding and confinement increases disease incidence. Stress factors such as malnutrition and long transport can also predispose animals to disease. Goats are the
Pack animal Pack animal A pack animal or beast of burden is an individual or type of working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back, in contrast to draft animals which pull loads but do not carry them. Traditional pack animals are diverse including camels, goats, yaks, reindeer, water buffaloes, and llamas as well as the more familiar pack animals like horses, donkeys and mules. The term "pack animal" is traditionally used in contrast to "draft animal", which is a working animal that typically pulls a load behind itself