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Pick
a foreign animal disease…any foreign animal disease. Have you ever
wondered just how a foreign animal disease looks? Do you suppose you
could detect highly pathogenic avian influenza, Exotic New Castle
Disease, foot-and-mouth disease or classical swine fever just by looking
at your animals? Let me weigh in with my answer to that question—I
seriously doubt it. The diseases I just mentioned, along with a long
list of diseases occurring in livestock and poultry every day in the
United States have at least one thing in common. They look like sick
animals. How do chickens with highly pathogenic avian influenza or
Exotic New Castle Disease look? They look like sick chickens. Or, often
they look dead (because that’s what they are…. Dead). Dead animals
often tend to look a lot alike despite the many different causes of
death. Obviously every animal that gets sick or dies should not be
thought to have a foreign animal disease. Hopefully, by the time you
finish this article, you will have better insight about when to suspect
a foreign animal disease, who to contact and the importance of reporting
certain diseases, both foreign and domestic.
In
talking to people who have seen animals with a foreign animal disease,
the conspicuous characteristic about the disease was its striking
resemblance to one or more common domestic diseases. That point was
really driven home recently when I encountered a heifer with
wildebeest-associated malignant catarrhal fever which is considered a
foreign animal disease in this country. Without some background
information about this animal being exposed to wildebeests on a ranch in
Texas, malignant catarrhal fever would have never crossed my mind. Most
cattle producers know what "shipping fever" looks like. This
heifer had what appeared to be a severe case of "shipping
fever." And even though malignant catarrhal fever is rather
benevolent because it does not spread cow to cow, to livestock or to
people, the depopulation of exposed animals will cost thousands of
dollars.
The
case of malignant catarrhal fever was handled as well as I think a
response to a foreign animal disease in Alabama could be handled. When
the producer’s veterinarian became aware the sick heifer could have
malignant catarrhal fever, he immediately contacted my counterpart with
USDA Veterinary Services, Dr. Wally Hester and me. I happened to be at
the right place at the right time and was able to be on the farm taking
blood samples from the heifer within two hours of notification. The farm
was temporarily quarantined until we got more information. During the
night, the heifer died and was taken to the diagnostic laboratory early
the next morning where tissue samples were collected and immediately
shipped to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
Because of the nature of the disease and the fact there was no threat to
other cattle, wildlife or humans, the farm was released from quarantine.
That is certainly the way it is supposed to work. However, without
information from the ranch in Texas, the heifer probably would have
died, been buried and thought to have died from "shipping
fever."
There
are certain red flags that should be a tip-off to suspect a foreign
animal disease. First, if an animal gets sick after the owner has
traveled outside this country or after new animals are brought into the
herd or flock. Second, if there is a high percentage of the herd or
flock that gets sick or dies. This is usually seen when a disease is
introduced into animals having no natural immunity to the disease.
Beyond
that, there are various types of disease syndromes that could be
indicative of a foreign animal disease. Vesicular diseases, those
causing blisters in and around the mouth, on or near the feet, the
udder, and other areas covered with mucous membranes, could indicate a
foreign animal disease. One problem with vesicular diseases is the
blisters are not there for very long. After a day or so, the blisters
rupture and you just have sores and erosions. If you have a lot of
slobbering and lameness together, definitely call your local
veterinarian.
All
central nervous system (CNS) diseases should be reported to your local
veterinarian because there is always the possibility it could be rabies
or a viral encephalitis carried by mosquitoes. CNS signs include:
staggering, stumbling, circling, being belligerent when normally docile,
being docile when normally wild, sleepiness, head-pressing and coma.
Speaking foreign languages and singing in the wrong key could be
considered CNS signs depending upon the origin of the animal.
Other
syndromes like abortions, hemorrhagic diseases and any other unusual
sickness should be reported to your local veterinarian. The relation to
the local veterinarian is extremely important in reporting unusual
disease syndromes. Working with your local veterinarian, our staff, USDA
Veterinary Services and a network of laboratories are ready to rapidly
respond. We cannot respond, however, if the disease is not reported. It
is certainly okay for us to look into a disease and send up the
all-clear signal. In the case of foreign animal diseases, early
response, diagnosis and containment are the keys. If you have questions,
please contact me at 334-240-7253. |
