Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
1950s, up to 10 percent of the cattle in the United States were infected with the disease. Calf
vaccination of heifers and pasteurization of milk has dropped the infection rate to the point
that there are no known infected cattle at this point. It does remain a sporadic disease in the
wild herds of bison and elk in Montana and Wyoming.
Common cow diseases
Leptospirosis:
There are many strains of leptospirosis, but only five types cause the majority
of illness in cattle. In adult cattle, the disease primarily affects the cows' reproductive organs,
causing miscarriages, infertility, and stillbirths. Calves may get ill with fever and blood prob-
lems.
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), Bovine Respirat-
ory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza 3 (PI3)
are viral respiratory and intestinal
diseases that commonly affect stressed cattle, such as calves being weaned or sold at auction.
IBR:
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (red nose) spreads rapidly through unvaccinated herds.
Cattle show signs of a respiratory illness such as nasal discharge, a red muzzle, mouth ulcers,
and a high temperature (106 degrees F or higher.)
BVD:
Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is common in all ages of cattle, but young cattle (8 to 24
months) are the most susceptible. The primary sign of BVD is diarrhea. Other signs include
dehydration, mouth sores, increased breathing, and fever.
PI-3:
Parainfluenza 3 causes signs of the flu in the cow. The cow will cough, have a fever, re-
fuse feed, and have eye and nasal discharge. Most cases are mild, but some cattle can get sec-
ondary bacteria infections leading to pneumonia.
Eye diseases
Pinkeye:
The bacterium
Moraxella bovis
causes infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK),
better known as pinkeye. It is a rapidly contagious disease in some herds and affects calves
more often than adults. Hereford cattle and their crosses seem more susceptible to the disease
than other cattle breeds due their light colored faces. Factors that contribute to the develop-
ment of pinkeye include exposure to sunlight, lots of flies around the face, dust, and being in-
fected with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), a respiratory virus. Controlling pinkeye
entails controlling face flies through use of pesticide-laced ear tags, insecticide dust bags, and
fly-control lick blocks. Treatment is with eye patches or injections of antibiotics.
