Un-Diagnosed Cattle / Camel Disease / North Africa

Not saying but,......

UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE AND DEATH, CAMELS - MAURITANIA: REQUEST FOR


INFORMATION

***************************************************************************

A ProMED-mail post



ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases





Date: Tue 2 Aug 2011

Source: C.R.I.De.M (Carrefour de la Republique Islamique de

Mauritanie)[French, transl., summarised, edited]







A serious threat to camels in Mauritania

----------------------------------------

A serious threat hangs over camels in Mauritania, with farmers calling

for urgent measures combining efforts of national and international

partners. "This is to identify the disease that kills camels, to

prescribe the treatment needed and to apply control measures to

prevent its spread," said Mohamed Lemine, a camel breeder. The

measures are essential to maintain the camel population -- a main

resource of the country for its milk and meat, in addition to its use

in transportation and its striking adaptability to the ecosystem.



Camels have died in recent weeks in several regions of Mauritania:

Guidimgha, Brakna, Gorgol and Trarza. In all cases, the animals had

internal bleeding and respiratory infection, it seems, having wasted

away suddenly presented with bleeding mouth and nose and swelling in

the skull.



The new death toll came after that of winter 2010 in Adrar, which was

caused by Rift valley fever (RVF). Ranchers whose livestock is

currently being affected wondered if the death of camels is caused by

RVF. As they say, camels may well have carried the virus of the Adrar

during their transhumance cycle.



But a vet who examined camels in Trarza suspected pasteurellosis. Is

this an appropriate diagnosis? This is not known at this time.

Pasteurellose is a fatal disease in camels.



"I invited a veterinarian who vaccinated the herd; 2 days later, my

flock is dead," said Mohamed Lemine. He added: "My case has

discouraged farmers from vaccinating their herds. They want reliable

diagnosis to be carried out, preferably in Europe, because they think

the disease has not actually been identified."



Livestock contributes 80 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP)

of the agricultural sector in Mauritania, which includes 1 320 000

cattle, 1 140 000 goats and 10 332 000 sheep.



The Southeast is considered the main breeding area, followed by the

Southwest border of Senegal. In these 2 areas the animals were already

beginning to suffer and to show serious signs of weakness, many

already dead due to lack of pasture consecutive late rains.



If an outbreak of pasteurellosis is added to the environmental

difficulties, the prospects for Mauritanian herders are grim.



--

Communicated by:

Sabine Zentis

Castleview English Longhorns

Gut Laach

D-52385 Nideggen, Germany

cvlonghorns@aol.com



[Diagnosis of the suspected disease is indeed essential and urgent. If

RVF is to be considered, its main victims are expected to be small

ruminants and cattle, though camels may be affected as well. Is that

the case? Obviously, RVF would have serious public health aspects as

well. - Mod.AS]



[The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map for Mauritania is available at:

- CopyEd.EJP]



[see also:

2010

----

Rift Valley fever, livestock - Mauritania (02): OIE 20101219.4478

Rift Valley fever, livestock, human - Mauritania 20101202.4332

2003

----

Rift Valley Fever - Mauritania: OIE 20031020.2635]

.................................................arn/ejp/jw

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Tracing FMD : A Report

http://web.oie.int/boutique/extrait/05dinardo6385.pdf

HENDRA VIRUS, EQUINE - AUSTRALIA (13): (QUEENSLAND)

***************************************************

A ProMED-mail post



ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases





Date: Thu 14 Jul 2011

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald [edited]







Bat colonies should be moved from urban centres and farms, but not

killed, to prevent further outbreaks of the Hendra virus, a north

Queensland MP says. Veterinarians and horse breeders in far north

Queensland are concerned the region's large flying fox population

could result in a spread of the deadly virus, following an outbreak at

a property west of Cairns this week [11-14 Jul 2011]. A pony named

Cheeky died from the virus at the Blazing Saddles trail-riding

property near Kuranda earlier this week. So far, 9 horses have been

killed or put down since 20 Jun [2011] as a result of the virus

following outbreaks in Queensland and New South Wales (NSW).



Independent MP Bob Katter on Wednesday [13 Jul 2011] called for bats

who nested in urban areas to be shot or moved on to prevent further

outbreaks, a position rejected by Biosecurity Queensland.



Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch labelled calls to shoot the bats a

"knee-jerk reaction" but said authorities should use non-lethal means

to force bats to relocate from farms and urban areas. "The bats play a

very important role in our ecology, if we exterminated them

pollination in our native forests would just crash. "But we need to be

looking at ways of managing this." He said authorities could use

noise, such as the sound of gunshots, to disrupt bat colonies as they

slept during the day. "There are non-lethal ways that bats can be

encouraged to leave the area and go back to live in forests where they

belong," he said. However, he said the population of bats had grown

dramatically in north Queensland due to the availability of food

sources such as commercial crops and authorities should consider

efforts to reduce numbers through management programs.



Meanwhile, Blazing Saddles owner Michael Trout has said all staff

working at the property would be tested for the virus as a precaution.

"Just for absolute safety's sake, all staff will be tested at one

o'clock today and their results will be back tomorrow so there is 100

per cent clarity there," he told ABC Radio in Cairns. 4 staff and 2

visitors who had contact with Cheeky as well as all 36 horses

remaining on the property have already been tested.



--

Communicated by:

ProMED-mail





[Biosecurity Queensland

and the

NSW government



listed a number of precautions to avoid exposure of horses and people

to Hendra virus. Neither source mentions elimination or moving the

bats (see ProMED-mail archive no. 20110713.2110). Dispersal brings

with it the risk of spreading the virus to other locations.



These bats are highly mobile, and there is no assurance that they

will not return to their location of capture on release, since there

are food sources and good roosting places there. Or other flying foxes

may move into the vacated habitats. The logistics and cost of attempts

to eliminate the bat populations or move them to other locations would

be considerable and most likely unsuccessful.



A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map showing the location of

Queensland can be accessed at

. - Mod. TY



A map showing the locations of the outbreaks can be seen at

. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]



[see also:

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (12): (QL,NS) 20110715.2137

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (11): (QL,NS) human exposure

20110714.2125

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (10): (QL,NS) human exposure

20110713.2110

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (09): (QL,NS) human exposure

20110712.2098

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (08): (QL,NS) 20110710.2084

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (07): (QL,NS) 20110706.2045

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (06): (QL,NS) human exposure

20110705.2036

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (05): (NSW) human exposure

20110702.2012

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (04): (QL) 20110701.1997

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (03): (QL) human exposure

20110630.1989

Hendra virus, equine - Australia (02): (QL) 20110629.1984

Hendra virus, equine - Australia: vaccine 20110525.1589]

.................................................mpp/ty/ejp/lm

*##########################################################*

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Fleas, rodents, pets, blamed for (lab-made?) Plague

PRO/AH> Plague, animal - USA (04): (NM) canine



ProMED-mail promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu to promed-ahead

show details 3:42 PM (10 hours ago)



PLAGUE, ANIMAL - USA (04): (NEW MEXICO) CANINE

**********************************************

A ProMED-mail post



ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases





Date: Tue 28 Jun 2011

Source: Alamogordo Daily News [edited]







The New Mexico Department of Health's Scientific Laboratory Division

confirmed plague this week in a dog in Rio Rancho. The dog was most

likely infected when running in open fields on the north end of the

city and encountering sick or dead rabbits and other rodents, health

officials said.



"A plague case in a pet serves as a warning that there is plague

activity in rabbits, rodents, and their fleas in the area," said Dr

Catherine Torres, the Department of Health's cabinet secretary. "I

encourage everyone to follow simple prevention recommendations to keep

themselves and their families and pets safe."



Plague, a bacterial disease of rodents, is generally transmitted to

humans through the bites of infected fleas, but can also be

transmitted by direct contact with infected animals, including

rodents, rabbits and pets. "Pets infected with plague are often

hunters who have eaten an infected rodent or been bitten by a rodent's

fleas prior to getting ill," said Dr Paul Ettestad, public health

veterinarian for the Department of Health. "Pets can transport the

fleas back into the home where they can infect people."



Symptoms of plague in humans include sudden onset of fever, chills,

headache, and weakness. In most cases there is a painful swelling of

the lymph node in the groin, armpit, or neck areas. Plague symptoms in

cats and dogs are fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. There may be

a swelling in the lymph node under the jaw. With prompt diagnosis and

with appropriate antibiotic treatment, the fatality rate in people and

pets can be greatly reduced.



To prevent plague, the Department of Health recommends the

following:

- avoid sick or dead rodents and rabbits, and their nests and

burrows;

- keep your pets from roaming and hunting, and talk to your

veterinarian about using an appropriate flea control product;

- clean up areas near the house where rodents could live, such as

woodpiles, brush piles, junk, and abandoned vehicles;

- sick pets should be examined promptly by a veterinarian;

- see your doctor about any unexplained illness involving a sudden

and severe fever;

- put hay, wood, and compost piles as far as possible from your home;

- don't leave your pet's food and water where mice can get to it.



In New Mexico, there have been 2 human cases so far in 2011, both

from Santa Fe County; no human cases in 2010 and 6 human cases of

plague in 2009: 3 from Santa Fe County, 2 from Bernalillo County and

one from Sandoval County. One of the Santa Fe County cases was a fatal

case in an 8-year-old boy. For more information, including fact sheets

in English and Spanish, go to the Department's website at





--

Communicated by:

HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail





[Rio Rancho in central New Mexico can be located via the

HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at

.



Plague, caused by _Yersinia pestis_, is enzootic among rodents in the

western USA. Humans can be infected through 1) the bite of an infected

flea carried by a rodent or, rarely, other animals; 2) direct contact

with contaminated tissues; or 3) in rare cases, inhalation of

respiratory secretions from infected people or animals.



Plague is a category A potential bioterrorism agent. Human infections

are rare but can be life-threatening. The plague case-fatality rate

depends on the clinical presentation (that is, bubonic, septicemic, or

pneumonic) and timing of antibiotic therapy initiation; if untreated,

the case-fatality rate is over 50 per cent for bubonic plague and

approaches 100 per cent for pneumonic plague (1). Rapid laboratory

identification can help guide therapy.



Domestic cats and dogs can also contract plague from infective fleas.

They may carry infected fleas home to their owners or, especially

cats, serve as a direct source of infection. There are many flea

treatments and repellents appropriate for pets and available. Some

products may be suitable for dogs but not cats or may be suitable for

an adult but not a younger animal. Be sure to consult your

veterinarian, as some products may be toxic to cats, kittens, and

puppies, even resulting in fatalities.



Clinical signs in pets involve a localized swelling, such as under

the jaw in cats, but also in the inguinal region or under the front

leg (the armpit if you will), lethargy, anorexia, and fever. Please

take your pet to a veterinarian if you notice any abnormalities in

your pet.



Veterinarians should protect themselves by wearing gloves when

examining these swellings. A bubo that ruptures may infect the

veterinarian or even the pet owner if the pet owner is the one

palpating the swelling.



Another form of the disease is the respiratory form. Cats may acquire

this form and can spread it to their owners or the veterinarians

through infected expiratory droplets. People are also prone to the

respiratory infection as well.



You should also be aware that the fleas that hitchhike into your home

via a pet vehicle can also transmit disease to you, the owner or

caretaker of the pet. Sleeping in the same bed with dogs has been

associated with plague in enzootic areas (2). Plague patients with no

history of exposure to rodents can be infected by _Y. pestis_ if their

pets carry infected rodent fleas into the home. Veterinarians always

should recommend flea control to dog and cat owners.



References

----------

1. CDC. Human plague -- four states, 2006. MMWR 2006; 55(34): 940-3;

available at .

2. Gould LH, Pape J, Ettestad P, et al: Dog-associated risk factors

for human plague. Zoonoses Public Health 2008; 55(8-10): 448-54;

abstract available at . -

Mod.TG]



[see also:

Plague, animal - USA (03): (CO) 20110612.1792

Plague, animal - USA (02): (OR) feline 20110610.1773

Plague - USA (03): (NM) bubonic 20110530.1655

Plague - USA (02): (NM) bubonic 20110510.1439

Plague, animal - USA: (NM) canine, feline 20110421.1240

Plague - USA: (OR), 2010, bubonic, CDC 20110224.0615

Plague, fatal - USA: (IL), 2009, lab strain, CDC 20110224.061

Plague - USA: (OR), 2010, bubonic, CDC 20110224.0615

Plague, fatal - USA: (IL), 2009, lab strain, CDC 20110224.0614

2010

----

Plague - USA (03): (OR) bubonic 20101004.3597

Plague - USA (02): (CA) rodent 20100819.2878

Plague, feline - USA: (MT) 20100807.2693

Plague - USA: (CA) ground squirrel 20100708.2275

Plague, canine - USA: (NM) 20100418.1259

Plague, cougar - USA (WY) 20100208.0429]

.................................................sb/tg/mj/jw

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ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that

are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the

information, and of any statements or opinions based

thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in

using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID

and its associated service providers shall not be held

responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any

damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted

or archived material.

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##############################

ANTHRAX, HUMAN / LIVESTOCK (INDIA, SUSPECTED)

ANTHRAX, HUMAN, LIVESTOCK - INDIA (05): (ORISSA) SUSPECTED
**********************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Mon 20 Jun 2011
Source: The Times of India (TOI), Times News Network (TNN) [edited]
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Health-team-to-visit-anthrax-hit-Kandhamal/articleshow/8929437.cms>


Health team to visit anthrax-hit Kandhamal
-------------------------------------------
The state government on Monday [20 Jun 2011] asked the MKCG Medical
College and Hospital, Berhampur, to send a medical team to Kandhamal
district where some areas are in the grip of anthrax. This follows the
death of a 40 year old man from suspected anthrax on Saturday [18 Jun
2011].

The blood sample of the deceased tested negative for anthrax. But
that may be because he had already taken medicines, [according to]
head of state diseases surveillance Dr Bikash Patnaik. 2 out of 9
samples taken from the 2 affected villages within Tumudibandh block
had "morphologically" tested positive for anthrax. "It appears the
disease in Tumudibandh is anthrax," [said] Dr Patnaik. The medical
team, including a paediatrician, a medicine specialist, and a
microbiologist, among others, will further assess the situation before
confirming or ruling out anthrax, Dr Patnaik said.

RM of Bada Gochhaka village, who was admitted to hospital due to
suspected anthrax, died of liver failure, hospital sources said. 15
others, including 2 children of Sana Guchhuka and Bada Guchhuka
villages, are suffering from suspected anthrax following consumption
of rotten meat of cattle and goat.

"We have tested the blood samples of 16 persons, who were suspected
to be suffering from anthrax. While 7 of them were admitted to
hospital, 9 samples were collected from the field by the medical staff
of Kandhamal," said Dr Preetilata Panda, associate professor,
microbiology, of MKCG Medical College and Hospital. Dr Panda sent her
report to the health department as well as to Kandhamal district
administration on Monday [20 Jun 2011]. Earlier, the veterinary
experts have said domestic animals in the area tested negative for
anthrax.

Meanwhile, the medical college has discharged all patients who were
admitted for anthrax treatment. The anti-anthrax vaccination drive for
animals in the area by the animal resources department was on. Chief
district veterinary officer of Kandhamal SC Mallick said around 4600
animals of 42 villages have been vaccinated so far.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Diagnosing anthrax in humans always presents problems, not least
because they frequently self-medicate with antibiotics, so that when
they present themselves for examination by a physician or a
nurse-practitioner they can be bacteriologically negative though toxin
positive. My late and dear friend Benyamin Cherkasskyi in Moscow would
tell me that at best he could confirm 30 per cent of cutaneous
lesions, essentially by sampling the fluids below the lesion. The
other problem is that any contaminated meat in a public health
investigation can be long gone by the time the PH investigators are
mobilised. And, thirdly, humans and livestock die from many conditions
and anthrax incidence is not high on that list.

My only advice to my medical colleagues is that when they set out on
such an endeavor that they include a veterinary epidemiologist so that
he or she can be actively tracing back on any speculative sources
while they are still warm. Why? Because human anthrax cases,
challenging and interesting though they can be, are merely mine
canaries for a bigger problem. If it is anthrax, there will have been
prior animal cases, which seeded the human cases. By identifying where
these animal cases are occurring, preventive action can be put in
place and any existing animal health control programmes corrected.
This will cheaply prevent any more human cases, which incur high costs
in treatment and hospitalisation. For example, in this speculative
incident there has been one death, 7 hospitalised, and 8 presumably on
oral antibiotics, plus all the necessary supportive laboratory work.
Prevention is always cheaper than cure.

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of India can be seen at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0ZiP>. A map of Orissa showing the location of
Kandhamal district can be seen at
<http://www.travelindia-guide.com/maps/east/orissa_map_s.jpg>. To find
Berhampur, go to
<http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/21/Brahmapur.html>. - Mod.MHJ]

[see also:
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (04): (OR) 20110620.1887
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (03): (OR) 20110619.1871
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (02): (OR) 20110616.1830
Anthrax, human, livestock - India 20110612.1794
Anthrax - India: (OR), human cases 2002-2010 20110103.0028
2010
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (04): (OR) 20100731.2572
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (02): (OR) 20100611.1963
Anthrax, human, livestock - India: (OR) 20100512.1547
Anthrax, livestock - India: (OR) susp. 20100130.0327
2009
---
Anthrax - India: (OR) 20091020.3610
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (07): (OR) 20090725.2629
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (06): (OR) 20090702.2390
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (05): (OR) 20090629.2352
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (04): (OR) 20090622.2287
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (03): (OR) 20090615.2216
Anthrax, human - India: (OR) 20090326.1173
2008
---
Anthrax, human, bovine - India (Orissa) 20080608.1826
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (04): (Orissa) 20080603.1775
Anthrax, bovine - India (02): (Orissa) 20080407.1277
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (03): (AP, Orissa) 20080210.0539
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (02): (AP, Orissa), conf.
20080206.0489
Anthrax, human, livestock - India: (AP, Orissa) susp. 20080204.0457
2007
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (Orissa) 20070603.1798
2003
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (Orissa) 20030914.2328
2001
---
Anthrax, human, livestock - India (Orissa) 20010601.1084]
.................................................sb/mhj/mj/sh
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thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by  ProMED-mail.   ISID
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Forensic evidence emerges that European e.Coli SuperBug was bio-engineered to produce human fatalities

 NaturalNews) Even as the veggie blame game is now under way across the EU, where a super resistant strain of e.coli is sickening patients and filling hospitals in Germany, virtually no one is talking about how e.coli could have magically become resistant to eight different classes of antibiotic drugs and then suddenly appeared in the food supply.




This particular e.coli variation is a member of the O104 strain, and O104 strains are almost never (normally) resistant to antibiotics. In order for them to acquire this resistance, they must be repeatedly exposed to antibiotics in order to provide the "mutation pressure" that nudges them toward complete drug immunity.

So if you're curious about the origins of such a strain, you can essentially reverse engineer the genetic code of the e.coli and determine fairly accurately which antibiotics it was exposed to during its development. This step has now been done (see below), and when you look at the genetic decoding of this O104 strain now threatening food consumers across the EU, a fascinating picture emerges of how it must have come into existence.

Full article; http://www.naturalnews.com/032622_ecoli_bioengineering.html#ixzz1PXn1SG00                        http://www.naturalnews.com/032622_ecoli_bioengineering.html

BOVINE DISEASES - AUSTRALIA: EMERGING

*************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Wed 18 May 2011
Source: Warwick Daily News [edited]



Four emerging cattle diseases are threatening Australian dairy herds,
according to one of Australia's top cattle veterinary experts. Cattle
veterinarian Dr Rob Bonanno will focus on 4 emerging cattle diseases
when he addresses the Australian Veterinary Association's Annual
Conference in Adelaide this week [15-20 May 2011].

"These 4 new diseases are a fatal cattle liver disease [acute bovine
liver disease] thought to be caused by an annual grass and a plant
fungus, lameness caused by hairy heel warts [digital dermatitis],
haemorrhagic bowel syndrome, and the growing issue of zinc toxicity,"
Dr Bonanno said.

"Many of these new cattle diseases have become increasingly common
due to the extremely wet weather conditions we have been having in
recent months. A trend towards larger herd sizes is also correlated
with many emerging diseases of importance."

Acute bovine liver disease (ABLD)
---------------------------------
has been recorded in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania,
and Victoria and it is not clear if it is associated with warm, humid
conditions and the presence of an annual grass called rough dog's
tail.

Digital dermatitis or hairy heel wart
-------------------------------------
has become one of the leading causes of lameness in confinement dairy
herds in North America and Europe and is being diagnosed increasingly
in Australia, especially on farms that have adopted intensive systems
of production. The disease is caused by exposure of the feet to a
slurry of manure resulting from poor drainage or poor hygiene
protocols, damage caused by rough flooring, or poor pathways and muddy
conditions.

Haemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS)
---------------------------------
is being reported with increasing frequency in lactating dairy cattle
in recent years. This sometimes presents as a cause of sudden death,
but also sudden milk drop, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. The
exact cause is not known but risk factors may include rumen and post
rumen acidosis and fungal and bacterial infections.

Zinc toxicity
-------------
is rarely seen in Australia, but can be a symptom of the use of
excessive supplementation in the diet to prevent facial eczema, or
zinc sulphate contamination of feed. Signs can include anorexia,
diarrhoea, chronic constipation, and reduced milk yields.

Dr Bonanno says removal of animals from affected paddocks when the
1st signs of disease appear is critical to prevent new cases and to
limit the toxic damage to mildly affected animals, with "aggressive
early treatment" able to save many cows.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Australia can be seen
at . - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[Acute Bovine Liver Disease (ABLD)
----------------------------------
This is a very severe liver condition, the cause remains elusive.
Previously known as phytotoxic hepatitis, acute bovine liver disease
(ABLD) is a disease of beef and dairy cattle. As the name implies,
this is an acute disease with a sudden onset and clinical signs are
most often related to the liver. While it can and does affect cattle
of any age, it is most often seen in animals over 6 months of age.
Those herds of highest risk tend to be the larger herds.

In the case of those that do not die immediately, clinical signs
observed are related to photosensitization -- a severe type of
sunburn. There are two types of photosensitization: one is primary,
where the agent causing photosensitization does not affect the liver;
the second form is where the agents causing photosensitization are not
removed by the liver because the liver is damaged and cannot remove
them. The cattle are agitated, distressed, possibly due to pain of the
sunburn and will seek shade. The sunburn occurs on udders, muzzles,
vulvas, the base of horns and other light skinned areas of the body
such as white faces or legs. These animals are usually depressed,
often with a fever and frequently with a drop in milk production.
There are a few animals that survive; recovery is prolonged and
infection in the infected skin and udders (mastitis) requires
treatment. Anti-inflamatories, antibiotics and treatment for mastitis
are required. The earlier treatment is provided the better the chances
for survival, however long recovery may be.

Rough Dog’s Tail (_Cynosurus echinatus_) is an annual grass that
has been associated with ABLD. What is unknown is whether this is an
indicator of some factor or whether the plant is directly involved.
The plant is not known to be toxic. Warm moist times of the year also
seem to have more cases of ABLD.

Hairy heel warts (HHW)
----------------------
There are some factors that seem to be common among dairies with this
syndrome: herds larger than 200-500 cows; muddy holding pens; and
purchased replacement heifers. The therapy of choice is topical
oxytetracycline with precautions taken to prevent antibiotic residue
in milk or meat. Footbaths commonly are used in herds with HHW but are
not as effective as topical antibiotics.

Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS)
--------------------------------
This is an acute enteritis with an 80-100 percent mortality. The
bacterium _Clostridium perfringens_ and the fungus _Aspergillus
fumigatus_ have both been implicated in the cause of HBS, but neither
can be linked definitively or consistently to the condition. Acute
signs of HBS include profound depression, tachycardia (rapid heart
rate), decreased milk production, abdominal distension, ruminal
stasis, and dark clotted blood in the feces. Segmental lesions
localized to the jejunum are observed at necropsy. Affected areas of
jejunum contain frank hemorrhage with rapid to immediate clotting,
which forms functional occlusion of the lumen of the small intestine.
Treatment of acutely affected cows with supportive care (fluids,
anti-inflammatories, dextrose] and antimicrobial agents has generally
been ineffective. Common risk factors include season of the year, some
geographical locations, usually the 2nd lactation, and larger herd
sizes.

Zinc intoxication
-----------------
Clinical signs vary based on the duration and degree of exposure.
Signs in cattle include a decrease in weight gain, possibly from mild
anorexia, and a decrease in milk production. - Mod.TG]

[Photo of hairy heel wart:

Image ofRough Dog’s Tail grass (_Cynosurus echinatus_) at:
http://lv-twk.oekosys.tu-berlin.de/project/amanos/plantfamilies/images/Graminae/Cynosurus-echinatus_IMGP7982.jpg>
- Mod.JW]

[see also:
2009
----
Acute bovine liver disease - Australia: (TS) 20090418.1468]
....................................................................sb/tg/mj/ejp/jw
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