Animal, Plant & Soil Science
Lesson C5-7
Disease Control and
Management Practices
Objectives
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Explain how cleanliness affects
disease control, and compare
antiseptics and disinfectants.
Evaluate vaccination and prevention
methods, and describe the types of
vaccines available.
Identify common diseases found in
agricultural animals, and determine
the appropriate treatment methods.
How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics
and disinfectants used?

Animal husbandry is the practice of
raising animals and tending to their
health and well being.
 With all animals, there is a chance that a
disease, parasite, or health problem will
occur.
 Knowing how to recognize, treat, and
prevent animal diseases is part of good
animal husbandry.
How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics
and disinfectants used?

Many bacteria and other disease causing
organisms can live and multiply outside
of hosts.

When this happens, animal
facilities and equipment
can become infected and
diseases can spread.
How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics
and disinfectants used?
Sanitation and cleanliness impact the
number of bacteria and germs that
survive.
 Bacteria and germs
cannot survive in areas
that are not moist.
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Therefore, if animals and facilities are kept
dry, it reduces the possibility of problems.
How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics
and disinfectants used?

A. Sanitation is the application of
measures to clean tools, facilities,
people, and equipment to protect health.
The primary objective of sanitation is to
prevent fecal contaminants from entering
the oral cavities of animals.
 With animals, keeping feces away from feed
and water is a major concern.
 Used equipment that may contact the
animal’s oral cavity or the animal’s feed
should be a special target of sanitation
procedures.

How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics
and disinfectants used?

B. Regular equipment and facilities
sterilization will destroy many forms of
microorganisms to reduce diseasecausing pathogens.

Sterilization is the process of destroying
microorganisms by chemical or physical
means.
 It is not always practical to sterilize most
livestock and animal facilities, tools, etc.
 However, regular cleaning with antiseptics
and disinfectants eliminates the vast
amount of disease-causing organisms.
How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics
and disinfectants used?

1. Antiseptics are chemical agents used
on living tissue to control the growth and
development of microorganisms.

An antiseptic is often used around open
wounds or burns to help prevent disease
entry.
How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics
and disinfectants used?

2. Disinfectants are chemicals used to
kill microorganisms on nonliving surfaces
(e.g., like tables).

Disinfectants prevent
infection from facility
surfaces and equipment.
What are the methods and types
of vaccinations available?
Used to prevent many diseases,
vaccines are formulas created of
weakened or dead disease organisms
that cause the body to develop
immunity.
 Good animal husbandry, maintaining
vaccination records, and tracking where
animals come from allow producers to
anticipate and prevent problems.

What are the methods and types
of vaccinations available?
When animals are showing
signs of sickness, producers
should take preventive
measures for the remaining
healthy animals to ensure
herd stability.
 Prevention often includes
vaccination.
 Some diseases, such as
rabies and blackleg, require
regular vaccines.

What are the methods and types
of vaccinations available?

A. There are multiple ways to administer
vaccines to animals.
Most vaccines are administered through one
of three types of injections.
 All injections should be given in the neck to
help prevent muscle soreness and carcass
degradation.
 The type of injection is based on the
recommendation for the medicine being
used.

What are the methods and types
of vaccinations available?
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1. Subcutaneous injections are given
just under the skin’s surface.
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Livestock used for food purposes are
primarily given subcutaneous
injections to preserve the
quality of the meat.
2. Intramuscular
injections are given directly
into muscle tissue.
What are the methods and types
of vaccinations available?
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3. Intravenous, or IV, injections are
given directly into a vein and should be
administered slowly.
IV injection is the most complex and usually
requires animal handling over a longer
period.
 Even though it is more difficult to
administer, IV injections are often the best
solution for medical emergencies.

What are the methods and types
of vaccinations available?
B. Two types of external vaccines are
available: transdermal and intranasal.
 These are not as invasive as injections.
 1. Transdermal vaccines involve
medication being put on the skin and
absorbed.
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This method is effective for skin disease or
infected wounds.
What are the methods and types
of vaccinations available?

2. Intranasal vaccines
involve the medicine being
aerosolized and sprayed
into the nasal cavity, which
is becoming more widely used to combat
respiratory diseases. (An intranasal
vaccine is currently an option for
vaccination against the human flu virus.)
What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?
Animals are more resistant to diseases
when sanitation, prevention practices,
and nutrition has
been monitored.
 Healthy animals
remain resistant to
most diseases
caused by organisms
such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?
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A. Bacteria live in a wide array of
conditions, inside and outside of
animals.
Bacteria are found everywhere, and many
are beneficial.
 Bacteria are found naturally in the stomach
of ruminants and help in digestive
processes.
 However, some bacteria can grow on body
cells where they feed and secrete toxins,
which are poisonous agents that invade
the body.
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What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?

1. Blackleg is an example of a bacterial
disease.
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A major disease in many North American animals, it
occurs mostly in cattle and sheep when bacteria
build up in the muscle, producing toxins.
It is often sudden in occurrence and can cause
lameness, swollen muscles, severe depression, high
fever, or death.
It affects the legs, making them look bruised (dark
purple or black).
Produced in recent years, vaccines for blackleg are
proving effective in eliminating occurrences.
What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?

2. Brucellosis can cause heavy losses in
the animal production industry.
This disease occurs in cattle,
swine, and sheep.
 The microorganism that causes
this disease can lead to abortion
in pregnant animals.
 There is no cure, but good management
practices can prevent it.

What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?
Livestock producers should have newly
purchased animals tested for brucellosis to
prevent contamination of a healthy herd.
 Brucellosis vaccinations are now required
for female animals, especially in the cattle
industry.
 Only state-recognized veterinarians can
administer this vaccine, and they must
report all vaccinated animals to the USDA
for record-keeping purposes.

What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?

B. Although viruses are not
actually living organisms, they
commonly cause diseases.
Viruses are infectious agents
that replicate inside the host’s body cells.
 Because these viruses use parts of the cell
to reproduce, creating vaccines can be
difficult.
 Sometimes the vaccine is ineffective
because it is difficult to target the virus
without affecting the cell.

What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?

1. Rabies is a common disease of
companion animals, but it can be
prevented by regular vaccines in animals
and post bite immunizations for humans.
All carnivorous mammals can be infected
with rabies, including humans, wild animals,
and bats.
 By the time most symptoms appear, the
condition of the animal is fatal.

What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?
Rabies affects an animal’s nervous system,
spinal cord, and brain— where it destroys
tissues and causes inflammation.
 The virus is present in saliva and is most
commonly transferred by saliva in open
wounds (e.g., biting).
 Delirium and excessive
saliva are common
symptoms.

What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?

2. Equine rhinopneumonitis is a common
disease in horses caused by a herpes
virus that is similar to the one that
causes colds in humans.
It can be transmitted by feed, water, and
feed buckets.
 Considered a respiratory disorder in mature
horses, it can cause abortion in pregnant
mares and lead to fatal conditions in
newborn foals.
 Common signs are nasal discharge and
wheezing.
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What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?
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C. Nutritional and genetic diseases are
common in animals.
Nutritional diseases involve
nutrient consumption
deficiencies or excesses.
 Milk fever, a common
nutritional disease in cattle, is caused by a
calcium deficiency.

What are common diseases of agricultural
animals? What are the appropriate
prevention and treatment options?
After giving birth, a cow may become
calcium deficient if the body needs to pull
calcium from bones and tissues to make
milk for the calf.
 A cow with milk fever may be unable to
stand because of insufficient amounts of
calcium in the bloodstream.
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Review
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How does cleaning affect disease
control? How are antiseptics and
disinfectants used?
What are the methods and types of
vaccinations available?
What are common diseases of
agricultural animals? What are the
appropriate prevention and
treatment options?