Livestock VirusesBy; Maria Navarrete

Topics

• The diseases• How to prevent them• Recognize disease symptoms.• Respond to symptoms safely and effectively.

Diseases

The diseases we’re trying to prevent are

a) Zoonotic b) Blue tongue c) Schmallenberg-caused late abortions and birth deformities

Zoonotic Disease

• Most human infections with zoonoses come from livestock, including pigs, chickens, cattle, goats, sheep and camels. • this contagious diseases spread between animals

and humans. These diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that are carried by animals and insects• The latest figures from the Animal Health and

Veterinary Laboratories Agency show the virus has been detected on 1,531 farms, in cattle, sheep, alpacas and goats.

Recognize the disease

How can you prevent it

• Be aware of zoonotic diseases and your potential for infection• Wash hands thoroughly and frequently• Avoid direct contact with certain animals and their environment• Closely supervise children to ensure they wash their hands properly and avoid hand–to–

mouth activities (thumb–sucking, eating, and use of pacifiers) after animal contact• Use EPA–registered insect repellents that contain 20% or more DEET (N, N–diethyl–m–

toluamide) on the exposed skin for protection that lasts up to several hours• Use products that contain repellents (such as permethrin) on clothing. Treat clothing and

gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents• Look for and remove ticks from your body. Parents should check their children for ticks• Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by getting rid of

items that hold water

Blue tongue

• Bluetongue is a disease of animals affecting all ruminants, including sheep, cattle, deer, goats and camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas, guanaco and vicuña). It does not affect horses or pigs. Although sheep are most severely affected, cattle are the main mammalian reservoir of the virus. The disease is caused by a virus spread by certain types of biting midges

Recognizing the disease

• Clinical signs in sheep:• Eye and nasal discharges• Drooling as a result of ulcerations in the mouth• High body temperature• Swelling of the mouth, head and neck• Lameness• Haemorrhages into or under the skin• Inflammation at the junction of the skin and the horn of

the foot – the coronary band• Respiratory problems – difficulty with breathing and

nasal discharge• A bluetongue is rarely a clinical sign of infection• Deaths of sheep in a flock may reach as high as 70 per

cent. Animals that survive the disease can lose condition with a reduction in meat and wool production.

Clinical signs in cattle:It is possible that cattle will show no signs of illness, however clinical signs have included:Nasal dischargeSwelling of the head and neckConjunctivitis (runny eyes)Swelling in, and ulceration, of the mouthSwollen teatsTirednessSaliva drooling out of the mouthIn cattle, the disease cannot be diagnosed on clinical grounds and requires laboratory testing for confirmation.

How can you prevent it

• inspect your stock, particularly focusing on the mucous linings, (lining of the mouth and nose) and the coronary band (where the hoof stops and the skin starts), and; if you suspect one of your animals has Bluetongue, it is vital to report it as early as possible.