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Diseases of Beef Animals
 Diseases
of Beef animals include:
• Tuberculosis (TB)
• Stomach and Intestinal Worms.
• Lungworms
• Blackleg
• Grass Tetany
• Lice
• Red Water Fever
Tuberculosis (TB)

It affects all types of cattle, of all ages.

Caused by Mycobacterium bovus

Highly infectious

Humans can also get this disease (A Zoonose)
Symptoms

Failure to Thrive

Sweating

Bad appearance
Advanced symptoms:
 Emaciation
 Coughing
 Fever and Death
Prevention
 None really
 Don’t buy in stock
 Good farm hygiene
 No drinking from streams
Treatment
 Slow veterinary assistance for TB
 All affected animals are culled
Stomach Worms
 Cause:
A nematode in the cow’s digestive tract.
Older cows get a resistance to stomach worms.
 Symptoms:
Diarrhoea, failure to thrive, growth
restriction.
 Prevention:
Proper grazing management, leader
follower system, dosing.
 Treatment:
Dosed with a suitable nematicide.
Lung Worms (Hoose)
 Cause:
Nematode in the lungs.
 Symptoms:
Hoarse, husky cough, failure to
thrive.
 Prevention:
Proper grazing management, leader
follower system, hoose vaccine.
 Treatment:
Dosed with a suitable nematicide,
under veterinary supervision.
Blackleg
 Cause: Bacteria called Clostridium chanvoei.
Bacteria produce spores which can travel to muscle
tissue. Animal can die within 24 hours of showing
symptoms.

Symptoms: Lameness, swollen legs with black
discolouration, high fever.

Prevention: Vaccine available, every six months.

Treatment: None.