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| BOVINE
VIRUS DIARRHEA
BVD, MUCOSAL DISEASE |
| Most prevalent
viral infection of cattle. Fortunately many adult cattle have encountered
the virus and become immune. The virus is easily spread by contaminated
clothing, vehicles, carrier animals, other animals and perhaps birds.
Can be contacted intranasally, orally or by injection. Most naturally
occuring cases probably result from ingestion of the virus.
SYMPTOMS
- high fever,
loss of appetite occurring 4-7 days following infection
- typical lesions
are small erosions on the lips, dental pad, tongue and palate
and throughout the digestive tract, but may not occur in all cases
- fever, profuse
watery diarrhea, sometimes excessive straining, extreme dehydration
and rapid weight loss
- few days
diarrhea subsides followed by periodic expulsion of small amounts
of black tarry stool
- muzzle frequently
crusty, nostrils partially plugged with sticky mucous, tears and
occular discharge
- laminitis
is not uncommon
- sometimes,
skin in neck region will get scruffy and wrinkled
- can cause
abortion at any stage of gestation, if calf survives it is usually
physically and mentally impaired
RECOVERY
- mortality
high, death may occur 3 days to a month or more after onset of
clinical signs
- generally
improvement in 4-5 days with periodic bouts of diarrhea and unthriftiness
lasting for several months.
- Vaccine recommended
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| INFECTIOUS
BOVINE RHINOTRACHEITIS IBR,
REDNOSE |
| IBR is a common
upper respiratory infection of cattle, more prevalent during the fall
and winter. The virus, a member of the herpes virus group, can be
harboured for indefinite periods of time and shed intermittently,
particularly during periods of stress. Generally spread by aerosol
dispersion, the virus can also be transmitted by semen, although this
is somewhat uncommon. Bulls vaccinated with IBR will show virus antibodies
causing confusing test results.
SYMPTOMS
- dry, hacking
cough, accompanied by fever, lack of appetite and a clear nasal
discharge, which eventually becomes mucopurulent (containing pus).
- IBR can also
be insidious, without any observable clinical signs, but a rash
of unexplained abortions may occur a month or two later. Testing
fetus tissue samples will confirm the diagnosis, but testing the
dam's blood serum for antibody is of limited value.
- abortion
occurs about 20-45 days after infection
- effects of
the virus may be variable, some animals may develop a corneal
opacity, the sclera may redden, reddened sore nose, raised, whitish
plaques on the lining of the vagina and nostrils
RECOVERY
- about 4-7
days, but virus spreads rapidly through herd so may be two months
before all signs of the disease disappears from the herd
- occasionally
fatal for young calves
- rarely fatal
for adult cattle unless complicated by secondary pneumonia
- Vaccine recommended
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BRUCELLOSIS CONTAGIOUS
ABORTION, BANGS DISEASE |
Brucellosis is
caused by the organism brucella abortus and is spread from the vaginal
discharge of an infected cow or from an aborted fetus. The infection
is concentrated in the reproductive organs where it localizes in the
uterus, udder and placenta of the female and the testicles of the
male. The disease causes undulant fever in man.
SYMPTOMS
- abortions,
retained placenta, weak calves and infertility frequently occur
- milk produced
from an infected cow may also harbour the organism
- organism
can penetrate unbroken skin or be transmitted by a droplet of
infective material in the eye but it is usually transmitted orally
RECOVERY
- there is
no treatment for Brucellosis
- diagnosis
is made by a blood test of the dam and examination of the fetus
- some degree
of immunity as animals that abort can concieve again and carry
fetuses to term, although the disease remains in a latent form
and the infected animal remains a source of infection for others
- infected
animals are slaughtered, infected herds quarantined, and carrier
animals identified and traced back to their place of origin
- buy replacement
animals only from a clean herd, have aborted fetuses checked,
keep visitors out of stable area
- Vaccine and
government regulations
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| LEPTOSPIROSIS,
LEPTO |
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This bacterial
disease is seen in many species, but is most frequently reported
in cows. There are several species of leptospira that affect cattle.
Leptospirosis is transmittable to man. The main concern regarding
the disease is abortion. The diagnoses is confirmed by a blood test
or a culture smear.
SYMPTOMS
- often adult
animals do not display symptoms
- acute in
young animals - show high fever, complete lack of appetite, bloody
urine, jaundice, anemia and death. calf mortality may range up
to 15%
- occasionally
in adult cattle, the mucous membranes appear yellow and the urine
appears bloody
- lactating
cows may produce thick, yellow, blood-tinged milk, indicating
udder inflammation
- signs may
be absent until abortion 2-5 weeks after the infection, but most
abortions occur about the seventh month of gestation
RECOVERY
- primary site
of infection is the kidney and many recovered animals continue
to shed the organism in their urine for considerable periods of
time
- organism
survives well in water, the water is infected from contaminated
urine.
- infective
urine droplets splashed into the eye can result in infection,
care should be taken when handling aborted fetuses
- Vaccine recommended.
Protect feed supply from rodent contamination. Fence animals away
from contaminated water.
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| MASTITIS
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| Mastitis
is more prevalent in dairy cattle but occurs sporadically in beef
cattle. There are a number of bacteria that have the potential to
cause mastitis. Diagnosis of acute mastitis is not difficult. Chronic
mastitis is not as easy to diagnose.
SYMPTOMS
- pathogens
enter the teat canal
- acute
mastitis abnormal milk, a hot, swollen udder that is often
painful, fever, lack of appetite, greatly reduced milk flow
- acute
septic mastitis is a serious disease requiring prompt vigorous
treatment, pulse and respiratory rate are usually high, temperature
falls prior to death
- chronic
mastitis is a low grade chronic infection that causes a gradual
attrition of secretory tissue and loss of production, flares up
when udder resistance is lowered
- localized
abscesses and scar tissue are palpable if not actually visible
RECOVERY
- level of
toxin and toxin-producing organisms can be reduced by stripping
(milking) out all the secretion at least every hour
- rate of swelling,
tissue destruction and absorption of toxic products can be slowed
by packing the udder in ice
- keep the
animal in clean, sanitary surroundings out of mud and manure,
provide clean dry ground for lying down
- Antibiotics
are required
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HEALTH