Redwater is caused by the blue tick. Left is the male with the female on the right

2.Redwater

Signs of red water are fever, lack of appetite, red urine, pale to yellow gums and eyes, and sometimes nervous signs such as difficulty in walking

This disease can lead to deaths if the animals are not treated in time

signs

Treatment involves keeping the cattle calm. They should not be driven over long distances and should be injected with Berenil or ImizolThe dose for Berenil is 5 ml of made up solution (1 packet mixed with 12,5 ml of sterile water) for each 100 kg (for example, 20 ml for a 400 kg animal)The dose for Imizol is 1 ml for each 100 kg (for example, 4 ml for a 400 kg animal)

Treatment

Brucellosis can cause abortion in cows and is also highly infectious to people

Drink pasteurised/ treated milk!People get infected by drinking untreated milk from animals which have the disease or by handling themSigns of disease in people are tiredness, headaches, night sweat, muscle pain and loss of appetite

 

3.Brucellosis

Prevention involves vaccination and testing of the blood of the animal

All female calves are vaccinated between 4 and 8 months of age. A live vaccine is used and it is best that it is injected by your veterinarian or animal health technician. Pregnant animals must not be vaccinated, because they will abort

Cows should also be bled by your state veterinarian or animal health technician yearly to check if they are free of brucellosis

Cows testing positive for brucellosis are branded with a C brand on the neck. Do not buy a cow with this brand, because she is infected and may spread the disease to your other cows

Note that abortion can be caused by many different diseases, of which brucellosis is one of the most important. Some of these may be spread by the bull. If your cows are aborting it is very important to get the cause identified by your state veterinarian. Care must be taken when handling aborted calves. Wear gloves to protect you from becoming infected

Cattle with tuberculosis often become very thin over time

People can get TB from cattle by drinking infected milk

You should have your herd tested for TB every year by your state veterinarian. This involves a skin test

Animals testing positive are given a T brand on the left side of the neck

3.Tuberculosis (TB)

Cattle measles is a stage of a tapeworm in cattle. When people eat affected meat which is undercooked, they develop tapeworms in the gut

Cattle are infected when they pick up tapeworm eggs when grazing on pastures which are polluted because of unhygienic toilet practices by infected people

Infected cattle do not look sick and measles can only be seen in the meat at slaughter

Cattle measles can lead to downgrading of your meat Prevention involves good hygiene on farms. Use

toilets, and not the veld

Cattle measles

Anthrax, a highly infectious and fatal disease of mammals and humans, is caused by a relatively large spore-forming rectangular shaped bacterium called Bacillus anthracis -

4.Anthrax( Pharki)

Sudden death (often within 2 or 3 hours of being apparently normal) is by far the most common sign;

Very occasionally some animals may show trembling, a high temperature, difficulty breathing, collapse and convulsions before death. This usually occurs over a period of 24 hours;

After death blood may not clot, resulting in a small amount of bloody discharge from the nose, mouth and other openings/

Clinical Signs of Anthrax

On the clinical signs described above; Rod-shaped bacteria surrounded by a

capsule are visible in blood smears made from surface blood vessels

Diagnosis

Post-mortem examinations should not be undertaken on suspected anthrax cases (including any cow that has died suddenly for no apparent reason) until a blood smear has proved negative);

If a carcass is opened accidentally, the spleen is usually swollen and there is bloodstained fluid in all body cavities.

Post Mortem and Anthrax

Due to the rapidity of the disease treatment is seldom possible, although high doses of penicillin have been effective in the later stages of some outbreaks.

Prevention Infection is usually acquired through the ingestion of

contaminated soil, fodder or compound feed. Anthrax spores in the soil are very resistant and can cause disease when ingested even years after an outbreak. The spores are brought to the surface by wet weather, or by deep tilling, and when ingested or inhaled by ruminants the disease reappears.

Treatment of Anthrax

Where an outbreak has occurred, carcases must be disposed of properly, the carcase should not be open (exposure to oxygen will allow the bacteria to form spores) and premises should be quarantined until all susceptible animals are vaccinated.

Rabies does not often occur in cattle, but they can be infected when bitten by a rabid dog or jackal

Cattle can either become very aggressive and excited, (e.g.with bellowing), or develop the "dumb" form, when they are quiet

Once cattle show signs of rabies, treatment is no longer possible

People can become infected when feeling inside the mouth of a salivating animal for a possible blockage, and then being bitten

Prevention is by vaccination

5.Rabies

Botulism can occur when cattle eat hay or silage polluted by carcass material or bones when grazing, or poultry litter

Cattle will eat carcass and bone material when there is a lack of feed during winter or if they have a phosphorus deficiency

This disease causes paralysis and the animal usually dies

Treatment is only possible in the early stages and requires an antitoxin

Prevention involves vaccination and good nutrition during winter. You should also burn or bury all carcasses, bones or decaying material

6.Botulism

Black quarter is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Clostridium chauvoei, a Gram-positive bacterium and is characterized by inflammation with gaseous oedema of skeletal muscle and severe toxemia.

7.What is Black Quarter (BQ)?

Black Quarter

BQ is most commonly caused by Clostridium chauvoei. These are Gram-positive, rod-shaped; anaerobic that can produce environmentally-persistent spores in unfavorable conditions. These spores can remain in the soil for years in an inactive state, and return to their infectious form when consumed by grazing livestock and infect the large muscles of the animal where the bacteria grow and produce large amount of gas. Contaminated pasture is a predominant source of these organisms, which are also found naturally in the intestines of animals. Disease can occur over many years in areas where there is soil or manure contamination with the bacteria, and it is extremely difficult to remove the spores from the 

What causes Black Quarter in bovines?

It is seen in livestock all over the world, usually affecting cattle, sheep and goats.

Where the disease is found?

The diagnosis is by physical examination and confirmation of gram positive rods in the slide made out of serous fluid from the site. During post-mortem examination, a diagnosis is usually made very quickly, as the affected muscle is generally mottled with black patches. These patches represent dead tissue, killed by the toxins that the bacteria release when they infect a live tissue. If viewed under a microscope, small rod-like bacteria can be visualized to confirm the diagnosis.

How the disease is diagnosed in animals? 

Treatment is generally unsatisfactory due to the rapid progression of the disease; however penicillin is the drug of choice for treatment. Treatment is only effective in the early stages and as a control measure.

Any treatment is available?

Prophylactic vaccination with a combined vaccine containing formaldehyde inactivated cultures of Pasturella multocida and Clostridium chauvoei adsorbed on aluminum hydroxide gel will give good immunity against BQ along with Haemorrhagic Septicaemia.What is the vaccination schedule?Primary vaccination: six months of age or above, followed by booster dose after one month.Revaccination: Annually

How to prevent the disease? Does vaccine available? 

8.Tetanus

Tetanus occurs when animals are infected through wounds, or during castration or dehorning

The animal becomes very stiff and death results

Penicillin treatment may be possible in the early stages

Prevention is by vaccination

Tetanus

This disease is spread to cattle by biting insects

It causes lameness and sometimes the animal lies down

The animal will usually get better on its own within 3 days

It is important that the animal is given food and water if it is unable to stand

Prevention is by vaccination

9.Three-day stiffsickness

This disease is another important cattle disease in many areas. It is spread among animals by contact and also by biting insects

It causes lumps in the skin, but can also lead to death if the lumps are inside the animal

Lumpy-skin disease can lead to a downgrading of your meat

Prevention is by vaccination If your cattle get this disease, you should

speak to your state veterinarian

10.Lumpy-skin disease (lsd)

11.Milk fever

Milk fever is a disorder mainly of dairy cows close to calving. It is a metabolic disease caused by a low blood calcium level (hypocalcaemia). Between 3% and 10% of cows in dairying districts are affected each year, with much higher percentages occurring on some properties. Jersey cows that are mature and fat and graze lush, clover dominant pasture before calving are most susceptible

Low blood calcium level. Around calving time, cows need to mobilise large amounts of calcium from body stores such as bone. If this occurs too slowly the amount of calcium in the blood may fall below optimal levels resulting in milk fever

Cause

Older, high producing cows in good body condition, shortly before or after calving. Occasionally occurs a few weeks after calving when cows are in oestrus.

Animals likely to be affected

Milk fever is usually diagnosed by the cow’s history and her response to treatment. If the cow is found dead, laboratory testing can help rule out other possible causes of sudden death.

Confirming the diagnosis

Cows with milk fever need an injection of calcium (usually calcium borogluconate solution) preferably early in the course of the disease. There is little evidence that milk fever treatments containing additional minerals are any more effective than straight calcium products. If the cow is found early, oral calcium supplements or a calcium injection under the skin can be very effective. Injections under the skin can cause problems such as swelling and infection. Your vet may need to give a treatment into the vein but this requires careful monitoring to prevent heart failure

Treatment

Cows calving in good or fat condition Jersey breed Cows with history of milk fever High green feed diet during the transition

period Feeds that have had recent application of

potash

Risk factors

Changing the cow’s diet during the transition period (from 4 weeks before calving until 4 weeks after calving) can reduce the occurrence of milk fever and other metabolic diseases, and optimise production and fertility. The simplest approach is to restrict the amount of green feed in the last 2 weeks of pregnancy and provide hay from sources that not recently been treated with potash fertilisers. At the other end of the scale cows may be fed a total mixed ration that includes a balance of dietary cations and anions. 

Prevention of Milk fever

Pneumonia is a common problem, particularly in calves during the housing period. Disease can be caused by several different viruses and bacteria and is often referred to as the bovine respiratory disease(BRD) complex.

12.Pneumonia

Viruses and bacteria are spread through the air in droplets from infected to susceptible calves. Disease can be reduced by avoiding overcrowding and the mixing of cattle of different origins and different ages.

Transmission

Good housing can reduce respiratory disease. Cattle accommodation should be dry, draught free, comfortable and well ventilated.

Management is important in preventing pneumonia. Ensure that calves receive plenty of colostrum and try to avoid or minimise stress. Carry out stressful procedures (castration, weaning etc) one at a time whenever possible and introduce dietary changes gradually.

Many good vaccines are now available to protect against the main causative agents of disease. When used correctly, they are valuable tools for protecting susceptible cattle. Vaccination should be discussed with your veterinary surgeon as part of your overall disease prevention programme.

Treatment of cattle with pneumonia should be started as soon as symptoms are seen. Isolate affected animals to prevent infection spreading within an air space. Your veterinary surgeon will recommend the most appropriate antibiotic to control any bacterial infection. Anti-inflammatory drugs may also be used

12.Sheep pox

Sheep pox and goat pox are viral diseases of sheep and goats characterized by fever,

generalized papules or nodules, vesicles (rarely), internal lesions (particularly in the lungs),

and death.

What is sheep pox?

Sheep pox and goat pox result from infection by sheep pox virus (SPV) or goat-pox virus

(GPV), closely related members of the Capripox genus in the family Pox-viridae.

What is causative agent of sheep pox?

All breeds of domestic and wild sheep and goats

In which animals it is found and what extent?

Capripox is endemic in Africa north of the Equator, the Middle East, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan,Pakistan, India, and Nepal; parts of the People’s Republic of China, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Where the disease is found?

SPV and GPV are often transmitted by the respiratory route during close contact, but they

may also enter the body through other mucous membranes or abraded skin. These viruses can

be found in saliva, nasal and conjunctival secretions, milk, urine and feces, as well as in skin

lesions and their scabs. Ulcers on the mucous membranes are important sources of virus.

How transmission occurs?

Early clinical signs include a rise in rectal temperature to above 40°C, development of macules (small circumscribed areas of hyperaemia) in 2-5 days and later papules (hard swellings of

between 0.5 and 1 cm in diameter) develop from macules.

What are the clinical signs of the disease?

within 24 hours after appearance of generalized papules • Affected animals develop rhinitis, conjunctivitis and

enlargement of all superficial lymph nodes, especially prescapular lymph nodes • Papules on the eyelids cause blepharitis of varying severity • Papules on the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose

ulcerate, creating mucopurulent discharge • Mucosae of the mouth, anus, and prepuce or vagina

become necrotic • Breathing may become laboured and noisy due to pressure

on the upper respiratory tract from the swollen retropharyngeal lymph nodes draining

developing lung lesions.

Acute phase:

• Papules become necrotic from vascular thrombosis and ischaemic necrosis

• Papules form scabs in the next 5-10 days, which persist for up to 6 weeks, leaving small

scarsskin lesions are susceptible to fly strike • Secondary pneumonia is common • Anorexia is unusual unless mouth lesions

physically interfere with feeding • Abortion is rare.

If animal survives acute phase

By symptoms and serological tests like Virus neutralization, indirect fluorescent antibody test,

Agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID), Western blotting and ELISA can be used. Specific detection

of viral genome can be done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virions can be identified

by Transmission electron microscopy.

How to diagnose the disease?

Vaccination is the best method to prevent the disease in susceptible animals.

There are live and inactivated vaccines are available. Sheep Pox Vaccine containing cell

cultures derived live attenuated strain of Sheep Pox virus belonging to Kenyan or “Romanian”

strain provides good immunity. The vaccination is done every year in healthy sheep of above

3 months of age.

What are the Prevention and Control Measures?

1. If culling is not possible, isolation of infected herds and sick animals for at least 45 days

2. after recovery3. Slaughtering of infected herd if possible4. Proper disposal of cadavers and products -

burning or burial is often used5. Stringent cleaning and disinfection of farms and

equipment6. Quarantine of new animals before introduction

into herds7. Animal and vehicle movement controls within

infected areas.

Sanitary measures for SPV and GPV

Worms can lead to poor condition, particularly in calves

Prevention and treatment is by deworming

13.Worms

Good hygiene, management and nutrition are the most important factors in producing healthy cattle

Prevention is better than cure! Vaccinate and practise good tick and worm control

For advice and treatment, always speak to your state or private veterinarian or your animal health technician. Many of the drugs can only be used by your veterinarian

When using drugs for treatment, make sure that you give the right dose (the drugs must also be registered for use in cattle) for the right length of time or they will not be effective

When using drugs for treatment do not sell the animal or use it yourself for meat or milk until the withdrawal period has passed

Conclusion