Download Common animal disease symptoms

Was the candidate able to correctly identify (by questioning, if necessary) the
symptoms of the following disease and which animals they affect:

Foot and Mouth
FMD is a disease that affects all cloven-footed animals, such as cattle, sheep,
pigs and deer. It is caused by a picornavirus and spreads very quickly if not
controlled. It is present in many countries of the world and outbreaks also
periodically occur in disease-free areas. After being free of the disease for
many years, this country had an outbreak in 2001, resulting in the slaughter of
many animals and an outbreak in 2007. The disease causes fever followed by
the development of blisters mainly in the mouth and on the feet. In pigs the
clinical signs are identical to those of Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD). Any
suspicion of this notifiable disease must be notified to the Government.

Swine Fever
Classical swine fever (CSF) is a very contagious disease of pigs. It is caused
by a pestivirus.It was eradicated from GB in 1966. However since then there
have been several outbreaks of the disease which were controlled by the
slaughter of many pigs. The initial source of CSF virus appears to be from
pigs eating infected pork or pork products derived from imports. Infected pigs
may show little evidence of disease or can develop a fever and lose their
appetite. Other possible signs include discolouration of the skin, diarrhoea,
constipation, coughing and nervous signs. A large number of pigs may die.
The disease is very similar in appearance to African swine fever. Any
suspicion of this notifiable disease must be notified to the Government. This
is a different disease to Swine influenza.

Swine Vesicular
Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD) is a disease of pigs caused by an enterovirus
The UK has been free of the disease since 1982 but it is still present in other
parts of Europe. The clinical signs of SVD, that is fever followed by severe
lameness caused by blisters on the feet, are indistinguishable from those of
Foot and Mouth Disease. Affected pigs rarely die. Any suspicion of this
notifiable disease must be notified to the Government. This is a different
disease to Swine influenza.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
BSE is a fatal brain disease of cattle. The infectious agent is thought to be a
protein called a prion. It is believed that in the past animals became infected
by eating animal feed containing the infectious agent. Signs of the disease are
not usually seen until the cow is at least 4 or 5 years old. They tend to
develop slowly and may include a strange high stepping gait, trembling,
nervousness or aggression and loss of weight. The disease in people, Variant
Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD), may be linked with eating meat products
from BSE infected animals. BSE was first diagnosed in the UK in 1986 and
has since appeared in many other countries including Europe, North America
and Japan. Good progress is being made towards its eradication in the UK.
Any suspicion of this notifiable disease must be notified to the Government.

Sheep Scab
Sheep scab is a skin disease of sheep caused by a mite called Psoroptes
ovis. It is present in several sheep producing countries, including the UK. It
causes severe itching in affected sheep if left untreated. Scaly lesions develop
on the woolly parts of the body and sheep often bite themselves and rub
against objects to relieve the irritation causing loss of wool. Untreated sheep
may lose weight. Sheep scab is a notifiable disease in Northern Ireland.

Scrapie
Scrapie is a fatal brain disease of sheep and occasionally goats. The agent
causing the infection is thought to be a protein called a prion. The way in
which the disease is contracted and spread is not fully understood. The
disease occurs in the UK and many other countries. Australia and New
Zealand are free of scrapie. There are many clinical signs, which develop
gradually months or years after the animal has become infected. These
include skin irritation, excitability, hind limb weakness and loss of condition.
The weight of evidence available shows that the agent does not affect people.
Any suspicion of this notifiable disease must be notified to the Government.

Anthrax
A bacterium known as Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax. The bacterium is
present in the UK and can survive as a spore for long periods in the soil,
although disease in animals is rare. All species of animals can be affected
(including people), with cattle as the farm animals most frequently affected. In
cattle and sheep the period of illness is often so short that animals may be
found dead. When infected, pigs and horses will also usually die, though less
quickly. However some animals may recover completely, having shown few
signs of disease. In man, infection may cause a boil-like lesion on the skin
that can be treated with antibiotics. Any suspicion of this notifiable disease,
particularly sudden unexplained deaths, must be notified to the Government.

Enzootic Leukosis
EBL is a contagious disease in cattle. It is caused by a retrovirus. It can be
passed from mother to calf and also between cattle. The disease was first
confirmed in GB in 1978 and eradicated in 1996. It is not transmissible to
humans. Clinical signs are usually apparent in cattle aged between 4 and 8
years and rarely seen in animals younger than 2 years old. Affected animals
lose their appetite and condition, are dull, weak and anaemic. Many tumours
form in the organs of the body and some may be visible or felt lying under the
skin. Affected animals will eventually die. Any suspicion of this notifiable
disease must be notified to the Government.

Newcastle’s Disease
Newcastle disease is a highly contagious disease of birds caused by a
paramyxo virus. Many species of birds, including commercial, wild and pet
birds, can be affected.. The disease is a worldwide problem and sporadic
outbreaks frequently occur. The last outbreak in chickens and turkeys in the
UK was in 1997. It has occurred in pheasants in 2005 and in partridges in
2006. Affected birds may show a range of signs from mild illness to severe
disease with dullness, loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing, diarrhoea and
nervous signs. The numbers of birds dying can be high, particularly where
young birds have been infected. Any suspicion of this notifiable disease must
be notified to the Government.

Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is a highly contagious disease affecting many species of
birds, including commercial, wild and pet birds. It may also pose a threat to
people and other animals in certain circumstances. It is caused by a Type A
influenza virus. There are two types of the virus. One type ( high pathogenicity
avian influenza-HPAI) can cause severe disease and the other (low
pathogenicity avian influenza-LPAI) generally causes only mild disease or no
disease at all. There is concern that the virus may change (or mutate) to
cause the severe disease in people, birds and other animals. Influenza A
viruses occur worldwide and serious outbreaks of disease have been reported
in many countries. The last outbreak of avian influenza in the UK was in June
2008. Some birds, especially waterfowl, can be infected without showing any
signs of disease. Other affected birds may die suddenly or show a range of
clinical signs including a drop in egg production, swollen heads, dullness and
a loss of appetite. Any suspicion of this notifiable disease must be notified to
the Government.

Rabies
Rabies is a fatal disease of the nervous system that can affect all mammals
including man. It is caused by a rhabdovirus. It is possible to contract the
disease by being bitten, licked or scratched by an infected animal. The
disease was eradicated from the UK in 1922, but it is still present in many
other countries.. Clinical signs include paralysis and aggression always
leading to a painful death. Bats in Northern Europe are commonly infected by
a rabies-like virus called European Bat Lyssavirus (EBL). On rare occasions it
is known to infect other animals and people. Since 1977, 4 human deaths in
Europe have been caused by EBL as a result of bites from bats. Examinations
of bats in GB have found a very small number of them to be infected, with a
higher number of Daubenton’s bats showing evidence of exposure to the
virus. Investigations and testing for EBL are continuing. EBL rabies does not
affect the UK’s rabies-free status. Any suspicion of this notifiable disease
must be notified to the Government.