The discovery of the Asian longhorn tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in a flock of sheep in NJ in 2017 is a reminder to producers that foreign diseases and or foreign vectors of diseases can and have come to the United States in recent times. Livestock producers are the first line of defense in recognizing a foreign notifiable disease or vector. With the veterinary shortage unresolved, producers must rely on their own knowledge of signs of a disease not previously known to occur in the United States and be aware of current outbreaks in other countries of diseases not previously detected in North America.

The below table lists notifiable foreign diseases of cattle, and links to fact sheets providing further information.

Cattle Disease	Disease scientific Name, Vector	Detected in United States
Bovine babesiosis	Tick borne Babesia bovis, B. bigemina	Mexico/U.S Border regions
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy	(BSE)	Through August 2018, BSE surveillance has identified 26 cases in North America: 6 BSE cases in the United States and 20 in Canada
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia	Mycoplasmamycoides mycoides	Reportedly eradicated in United States in the mid-20th century
Hemorrhagic septicemia	Pasteurella multocida, serotypes B/Asian or E/African	Hemorrhagic septicemia-causing strains are not thought to circulate in North America. The disease was reported to the WOAH from Colombia in 2007, Venezuela in 2015 and Ecuador in 2018
Lumpy skin disease	Fly, mosquito, and tick vectored Capripoxvirus	North and South America continents have not seen this disease before and cattle will have no naïve immunity
Theileriosis	Tick borne Theileria species
Trichomoniasis	sexually transmitted protozoan parasite TRCH	25 different states and a total of 3,817 reported cases nationwide 2015-2019
Trypanosomosis	Tsetse fly-transmitted Trypanosoma species	Tsetse flies are not found in North America

 

In the News: Monkey pox is an example of an emerging notifiable disease of humans that does not affect livestock that is spreading around the world in 2022. An emerging pox outbreak in cattle in 2022 is lumpy skin disease, a capripoxvirus that causes a debilitating disease of particular concern in lactating European breeds of dairy cattle that have no naïve immunity like indigenous breeds in the countries where the disease has evolved.

Currently lumpy skin disease, a Capripoxvirus of cattle and water buffalo endemic to Africa has spread from the Middle East to south-east Europe, affecting EU Member States (Greece and Bulgaria) and several other countries in the Balkans in 2012. A major risk factor for the spread of livestock diseases and their vectors is the uncontrolled transboundary movement of live animals for trade, grazing or due to war and conflict. Since its first outbreak in 1928 in Africa, no direct transmission of LSD to humans has been reported. Since 2012, war, famine, and normal trade of livestock across borders is spreading the disease unchecked in the Middle East. In 2021, the World Organization for Animal Health reported that since 2015, “the disease has spread to most of the Balkan countries, the Caucasus and the Russian Federation, where the disease continues to spread, making the risk of an imminent incursion into other unaffected countries very high.” Lumpy skin disease was first reported in Asia and the Pacific region in 2019 in north-west China, Bangladesh and India. During the northern summer of 2020, LSD has continued its spread across continental Asia with many members in South and South East Asia confirming outbreaks. As of May 2022, an estimated five million dairy farmers and meat sellers in Pakistan have had an outbreak in their cattle. India is now experiencing an unchecked outbreak of the disease in dairy cattle in many western states.

From the WOAH Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on lumpy skin disease (LSD)

What is lumpy skin disease (LSD)? Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is caused by lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a virus from the family Poxviridae, genus Capripoxvirus. Sheeppox virus and goatpox virus are the two other virus species in this genus.

What domestic animals may be affected by LSD? LSDV is highly host specific and causes disease only in cattle (Bos indicus and B. taurus) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). There is evidence from a study in Ethiopia of differential breed susceptibility to LSD, with Holstein Friesian or crossbred cattle exhibiting higher morbidity and mortality due to LSD when compared with local zebu cattle. LSDV is not zoonotic, so humans cannot get affected by the disease.

Are there any recent LSD cases in sheep and goat? There are no reports of LSD in sheep and goats or of their epidemiological involvement in the disease despite being kept in close proximity to cattle.

For more information read the entire fact sheet at https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2022/06/faq-lsd-faired-v2-4forpublication.pdf

Signs a veterinarian looks for to detect a notifiable reportable disease in livestock

• Unexplained sudden onset of high morbidity and high mortality
• Severe abortion storms of unknown etiology
• Severe respiratory conditions
• Vesicular lesions (blistering skin not associated with sunburn)
• Pox or lumpy skin conditions
• Poor or no response to treatment when response is expected
• Atypical findings at necropsy
• History of foreign travel, foreign visitors, or receipt of foreign parcels (from a region where disease is present, accompanied by any of these symptoms)
• Recent importation of animals, embryos, or semen (accompanied by any of these symptoms)
• Undiagnosed encephalitic (CNS) conditions

For more information on foreign disease in livestock response, visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information

 

Barber’s pole worms are the most common ailment of lambs, kids and adult sheep and goats around the globe. As weather patterns shift, producers must shift management strategies to prevent economically debiliating infestations from taking over their herd.

To learn more about Barber’s Pole Worm, read my recent article in Progressive Forage ” Managing Barber’s Pole Worm“.

Barber’s pole worms are animal-parasitic nematodes that complete part of their lifecycle in pastures where infected fecal matter has been deposited. The egg’s hatch when temperatures rise above 50°F and moisture is abundant. The larva can then to develop to the L3 stage that is ingested by animals when they graze in seven to ten days. The higher the temperature, the quicker they develop. Timing dewormers to the infection rate of barber pole worm larva, and choosing the right wormer for the given conditions is a must strategy all producers need to implement to limit dewormer resistance.

When temperatures are cooler, the hatch rate of larva can take seven to ten days or more. They are rapidly reinfecting animals when temperature rise into the 80’s and 90’s as the hatch rate interval decreases to five days or less. As the infection interval decreases and parasitic load increases, producer’s may have to worm every three weeks.

HINDSIGHT HERD PLAN SCENARIO

2022 Barber’s Pole Hatch Recap (Woodstown, NJ Example)

January: Less than three consecutive days of temperatures over 50 degrees and less than eight days of temperatures over 50 degrees. Hatch rate low. What does this mean? Animal’s unlikely to have a heavy reinfestation load after fall deworming. This is the best month here locally to get base line fecal counts on the herd to detect animals with the most worm load. 

February: Three different weeks saw four consecutive days of temperatures over 50 degrees and into the 60’s. Hatch rate increasing. What does this mean? Animal’s likely to be exposed to Barber’s pole worms that were dormant since the end of summer. Barber’s pole worms time emergence to coincide with lambing season. Only certain dewormer’s can be given during the last trimester of lambing.

Lamb’s are most susceptible to barber pole worm infestations 60 days after lambing through 120 days after lambing

March: The last week of February through March 12 was less favorable temperatures and hatch rate should have decreased. Hatch rate lower.

Mid March: Ten consecutive days of temperatures above 50 degrees and into the 60’s. Hatch rates increasing. The time from ingesting L3 infective larvae to adults and more egglaying is typically between 16 and 21 days. First dewormer ideally targeted to end of March.

April:  Temperatures above 50 degrees and into the 60’s nearly every day. Temperatures over 80 degrees on April 13th. Days to re-infection decreasing from seven to five. Evaluate animals. Do not treat animals with low number of fecal counts to prevent dewormer resistance. If fecal counts are high, and worming is necessary: Second dewormer, four weeks since last March deworming.

May: Temperatures above 50 degrees and into the 60’s nearly every day. Temperatures over 80 degrees on May 20, 21 and 22. Days to reinfection decreasing from seven to five. Check animal’s not wormed in April to see if fecal counts are higher. If fecal counts are high, and worming is necessary: Third deworming, four weeks since April deworming.

June: Ten consecutive days above 80 degrees in early June increased days to hatch. The remainder of the month saw temperatures rose above 80 degrees for most of the month. Days to infection most likely within five days. Next dewormer in the schedule should be administered in three weeks not four.  After worming, move animals to a ‘rest’ pasture that has not been grazed since February-March (load worm pressure month) to break the cycle and reduce spread of resistant worms. 

 

July: Hatch rates continue to increase since the begining of the month. Days to reinfection within five days if no management strategies have been implement yet. Next dewormer in the schedule should be administered in three weeks not four. After worming, move animals to a ‘rest’ pasture that has not been grazed for 5 to 6 months (since January) to break the cycle and reduce spread of resistant worms. This is one of the most critical components of a limited acreage, high stocking density Barber’s pole management plan. 

Hot days ahead: The larval populations will crash when very hot dry weather occurs. This is why it is recommended, that on the hottest day of the year, heavily infested pastures should be mowed short to ‘cook’ the larva that use the grass blades to vector to grazing animals.

All dewormers have a slaughter and milk withdrawal days on the label. If animals are intended for slaughter or milk is intended for consumption, check the label and use the appropriate dose

Tailor your own deworming schedule? Interested in developing a Barber’s pole management plan projection like this one for your farm in NJ? (Deworming Schedule, FAMACHA Scoring, Fecal Egg Counts, Pasture Rotation). This is a step that can be done simultaneously with your state law required animal waste management plan. For assistance, contact Melissa Bravo, ANR Agronomic and Livestock Agent at the Salem County Extension Office.