Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS AN INTERNAL PARASITE? Internal parasites or ‘worms’ impact significantly on the production efficiency of Victorian cattle herds, causing disease, reducing growth rates and sometimes causing death. Internal parasites include tapeworms (cestodes), roundworms…
KEY MESSAGES 1. Liver fluke costs the sheep industry $25 million per year. 2. Most losses occur on farm due to weight loss, deaths, decreased fertility and reduced wool growth and staple strength. 3. Losses at the abattoirs are due…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Incubation period is 4-14 days post infection. There will initially be a period of high fever (41 deg C) and swollen lymph glands. Large, firm nodules will then develop up…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS LEPTOSPIROSIS? Leptospirosis is an infectious disease affecting cattle and less commonly sheep and goats. It is caused by the bacterium Leptospira, and the two predominant strains affecting Victorian cattle are Leptospira hardjobovis…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT TO LOOK FOR: While losses haven’t tended to be observed due to ill thrift in affected animals, there have been reports of infected calves being the following: Born underweight Possess limb abnormalities Have…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS OVINE BRUCELLOSIS? Ovine brucellosis (OB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Brucella ovis, affecting sheep. It is distinguished by infertility in rams and can significantly affect the reproductive performance of…
Click here for downloadable sheet KEY MESSAGES 1. Knotty gut is caused by the nodule worm (Oesphagostomum columbianum) and affects the intestines (runners). 2. It can cause serious production loss and disease on farm. 3. In some regions, abattoirs report…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS OVINE JOHNE’S DISEASE? Ovine Johne’s disease (OJD) is an infectious and incurable wasting disease of sheep caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. It is a notifiable disease in Australia and has been heavily regulated…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS PESTIVIRUS? Pestivirus (BVD) is a common viral infection in cattle with up to 90% of herds in Australia having evidence of infection. This results in losses of $114 million per year, In…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS NITRATE/NITRITE POISONING? Nitrate/Nitrite poisoning is a common plant poisoning, occasionally resulting in large losses. Nitrates normally occur in plants at low levels, but under certain conditions, and in some plants, nitrates can…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS Q FEVER? Q fever is a flu-like disease carried by cattle, sheep and goats. It is also carried by feral animals such as bandicoots and rodents. The bacterium, Coxiella burnetii, rarely causes…
Click here for downloadable fact sheet WHAT IS PINK EYE? Pink eye, or infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), is an infection of the eye caused by the bacterium Moraxella bovis. The bacterium produces a toxin that causes aggressive inflammation of the…