Livestock diseases, causes, symptoms, treatment and cotrol
(a) Anthrax
Cause: bacteria (bacillus anthracis)
Mode of transmission: contact with tissues/ fluids of infected animals
Symptoms
- High fever
- Dysentery
- Brown up/swollen stomach
- Blood oozes from all the body openings after death
- Loss of appetite
- Absence of rigor mortis in dead animal
- Sudden death within 24 hours
- Blood stained feces
Control
- Early treatment with antibiotics
- Vaccination annually
- Dispose of dead animals completely
- Never open up carcass that show symptoms of anthrax
- Report suspected cases to veterinary department
- Exercise quarantine
- Do not eat carcass
(c) Trypanosomiasis (Nagana)
Cause: protozoa
Mode of transmission: vector is tsetse fly
Symptoms
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Anemia and may lick soil
- Running nose
- Emaciation
- Death after several weeks
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Dullness
Control
- Clear bushes
- Treat with drugs
- Spraying tsetse fly
- Trap tsetse flies
- vaccinate
(c) Newcastle
Cause: virus (myxovirus)
Mode of transmission:
- contact with diseased animals
- contaminated feeds and water
- airborne droplets
Symptoms
- loss of appetite
- bending of neck
- sudden death
- watery yellowish green diarrhea
- marked drop in egg production
- thick mucus discharge from the mouth
- difficult breathing/sneezing/ rattling sound
- staggering/paralysis with drooping wings
Control
- kill the whole flock and disinfect the house
- vaccinate every six months
- avoid contact with infected birds
- avoid introducing new birds to the flock
- restrict visitors
- exercise quarantine
(d) Mastitis
Cause: bacteria
Mode of transmission: contact with milk from infected animal
Symptoms
- Pus or blood in milk
- Drop in milk production
- Swollen udder and teats/inflammation
- Animal reject suckling or milking
- Hardened quarters/adder/tissue
Control
- Treat with antibiotics
- Strict hygiene
- Use of right milking technique
(e) Contagious abortion or brucellosis
Cause: bacteria (Brucella)
Mode of transmission: ingestion of contaminate food and water
Symptoms
- Cows experience miscarriage between the 5th – 7th months of pregnancy
- Yellowish brown slimy discharge from valve after normal calving
- Failure to expel the after birth
- Failure or delayed conception
Control
- Vaccinate
- Culling and slaughter of infected animal
- Treat with antibiotics
Viral Diseases
(f) Foot and mouth disease
Cause: virus
Mode of transmission: contact with diseased animal
Symptoms
- Rise in body temperature
- Development of painful blister on the tongue, around the mouth and on the hooves
- Dripping of saliva
- Difficulty in eating
- Lameness or inability to walk
- Drop in milk production
Prevention and control
- Vaccinate
- Quarantine
(g) Gumboro (infectious bursal disease)
Cause: virus
Mode of transmission: contact with infected animal
Symptoms
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Unsteady gait
Prevention
- Vaccinate day old chick
- Proper disposal of infected bird
- Prevent contact with infected animal
(h) Rider pest
Cause: virus
Mode of transmission: contact
Symptoms
- High temperature
- Ulcer in the mouth and vagina
- Diarrhea
- Nasal discharge
- Shedding of tears
Prevention
- Annual vaccination
- Quarantine
- Slaughter affect animals
Protozoan diseases
(i) Coccidiosis
Cause: coccidian of Eimeria ssp. Affects poultry, calves, kids, lambs and rabbits
Symptoms
- Diarrhea
- Blood-stained feces
- Emaciation
- Rough feathers
- Death
Control
- Proper hygiene
- Keep litter dry
- Disinfect the poultry house
- Treat the infected animals
Tick borne disease
(j) East coast fever (Theileriosis)
Caused by Theileria parva transmitted by tick
Symptoms
- Eyes become watery
- Fever
- Difficult breathing
- Weakness
- Frothing fro mouth
- Blood stained diarrhea
- emaciation
Control
- treatment with drugs
- control tick
(k) Red water
Caused: by Babesia bigemina and transmitted by tick
Symptoms
- Fever
- Red urine
- Loss of appetite
- Anemia
- Weakness
- Depressed respiration
Control
- Treatment with recommended drugs
- Control tick
- Give antibiotics for secondary infection
(l) Heart water (Cowdriosis)
Caused: by Ricketisia ruminantium. It infects cattle and goats
Symptoms
- Circling (turning around)
- Muscle twitching
- Uncontrolled moving jaws
- Post mortem examination shows a yellowish brown fluid in the heart sac and body cavity
Control
- Control ticks
- Treatment
Tsetse fly borne disease
(m) Nagana (trypanosomiasis)
Caused by trypanosomes and transmitted by tsetse fly
Symptoms
- Fluctuating high body temperature for 2-3 days
- Anemia
- Progressive body weakness
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Loss of appetite
- Running eyes leading to blindness
- Emaciation
- Post mortem shows enlarged lymph gland and spleen
Control
- Treatment
- Control tsetse flies through spraying and clearing bushes
Common external livestock parasites
- Tick
- Mites
- Fleas
- Lice
Effects of external parasites on livestock management
- Reduce animal production
- Transmit diseases
- Suck blood and cause anamia
- Cause open wounds
- Cause irritation
- Inject toxins in the hosts
Control of external parasites
- Dipping
- Spraying
- Using disinfectants
Worm infestation
Common livestock worm infestation
- Tapeworm
- Liver fluke
- Round worms
Symptoms of worm infestation
- Rough hair
- Potbelly stomach
- Coughing
- Diarrhea
- Anemia
- Emaciation
- Constipation
- Presence of worm/their eggs in feces
Adaptations of worms to their way of life
- possesses suckers and hooks for attachment e.g. tape worm
- produces a lot of mucus that protects it from the host digestive enzyme e
- produces a large number of eggs to increase chance of finding a host
- has intermediate secondary host e.g. pig or cow.
- lack unnecessary organs to reduce on energy demands.
- its hermaphrodite to increase the rate of egg production.
- it survives in low oxygen area by using anaerobic respiration
- has resistant stage in the soil.
- its flat and long to increase absorptive surface.
- can regenerate
Control of worm infestation
- proper hygiene
- Routine drenching with drugs that kill worm
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Dr. Bbosa Science
