Welcome to Yan Farm Health News
July 2024 - Part 2
In this issue we discuss:
- Dates for your Diaries
- Bluetongue Virus - Update
- Mycoplamsa Bovis
Dates for your Diaries:
Practical Pathology Problem Solving: Tuesday 30th July, 1pm - 2.30pm, Bleaze Farm, Join us for an interactive post-mortem session focusing on practical skills in diagnosing and monitoring disease. Learn how to utilise your cull animals to benefit the future of your flock! To book your place please contact Anne in the office on 01539 327000 or 07501933291
Farmers Social Evening: Friday 9th August, Ninezergh Farm, LA8 0PA 7pm onwards. All welcome! Please call the office on 01539 327000 to book your places now!
Cartmel Show: Wednesday 7th August 2024. Come and see us for cake and a catch up, at our stand.
Westmorland County Show: Wednesday 11th & Thursday 12th September 2023. Join us for a brew, beer and a catch up at the show. Find us behind the cattle tent, next to the new cattle wash building!
Welcome to Emmie:
Emmie has recently joined the team here at Yan. Emmie qualified from Cambridge in 2002 and has worked as a farm vet in the northwest ever since. She combines vetting at Yan with dairy farming in Arnside, with her husband and three children. She has a particular interest in grazing and soil health. Emmie is looking forward to getting out and about to meet you all on farm.
Watch out for Bluetongue Virus
Last year saw the first incursion of Bluetongue Virus (BTV-3) into the UK, a notifiable disease, since 2007 and there is a very high probability of introduction again this year.
Since November 2023, 126 cases of BTV-3 have been detected in England, with no active cases since March 2024.
Introduction of the virus in this case likely occurred due to infected midges being blown over from northern Europe, where large outbreak occurred in the Netherlands. The disease is transmitted between animals by biting midges but can also be found in germplasm (semen and embryos) as well as being passed from the dam to the foetus in utero. It affects cattle, goats, sheep and camelids.
As the disease is notifiable, we are all required to report suspicion of BTV by law. Clinical signs include the following:
Clinical signs tend to be more severe in sheep and the recent outbreak in Europe saw up to 25% mortality in affected sheep. Interestingly no clinical signs were observed in the cases found in England; the reason for this remains unclear.
Now we are into the summer, midge activity will increase but the introduction of disease will depend on the temperature, wind direction and speed. Coastal farms in the south east (Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent and East Sussex) are most likely to be infected first but transmission between animal and midge is extremely efficient, allowing the disease to potentially spread inland. It’s also possible that infection can be moved with infected stock as they do not always show clinical signs. APHA are planning to offer free pre-movement testing of stock from these counties later in the year.
Unfortunately, unlike the 2007 outbreak there is currently no vaccine against this serotype of BTV, however work on developing a vaccine is underway. In the meantime control will be largely dependent on prompt detection of the disease, small-scale culling in the early stages and movement restrictions. These controls will limit the spread of disease but are unlikely to eradicate it.
Top images showing eye lesions and muzzle lesions in a cow. The bottom images showing oral lesions and a swollen head in a sheep. Images Courtesy of Royal GD, The Netherlands
Mycoplasma bovis
What is it?
A bacterium that causes a range of diseases in cattle.
Most commonly it is identified as a cause of calf pneumonia, either alone or in combination with other bacteria and viruses. Other reported signs include middle ear infections (causing head tilts in calves), joint infections and mastitis, although these are much less common. It is a challenging bacteria to deal with as certain characteristics help it evade the immune system and treatments given, these include:
- Production of a protective ‘biofilm’ to hide from the immune system
- Changes to the surface of the bacteria that help to evade the cow’s immune response
- Unlike many bacteria, it doesn’t have a cell wall. As many antibiotics work by targeting this part of the bacteria, e.g. penicillin, these won’t be effective against mycoplasma.
How is it transmitted?
- Contact with secretions including respiratory discharges, mucus, milk and colostrum
- Most commonly calf to calf, but also cow to calf.
How can I manage it?
Knowing your herd’s status is an important first step.
We can assess exposure through milk, blood samples or a combination of the two - this will tell us whether animals or groups on the farm have come across the disease. We can also look for the bacteria itself – most commonly from swabs taken off calves with new cases of pneumonia.
If you’d like to discuss how best to manage mycoplasma on your farm please get in touch with the vets.
Contact Us:
Tel: 01539 327000
Office Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 8.15am - 4pm
Email: office@yanfarmhealth.co.uk