STRATHBOGIE VETERINARY CENTRE LTD
VETERINARY SURGEONS
39 Gordon Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, AB54 8EQ,
Telephone: 01466 792627 Fax: 01466 794962
“SERVING TOWN AND COUNTRY”
Newsletter November 2015
Anthrax
This is a rare, but important disease. Although it does not spread readily, it
affects stock and people alike and will usually kill very quickly. The most
important cause in people is contact with animals or animal by-products (for
instance African drums made from animal skins). It does however last for a
long time in soil and cases in Britain have been reported 35 years apart on the
same farm.
This is why all cases of unexplainable sudden death must be reported to your
vet, who will then, take advice from APHA as to whether the animal should be
tested for anthrax. This is a legal requirement. The testing and veterinary
time will be paid for by the government: so its free!
Brucellosis
Brucellosis is another highly important disease which can cause a long term
undulating fever in people. It is one of the reasons milk is pasteurised. In the
past, it was effectively controlled by a statutory testing programme to identify
infected cattle (the blood sampling that used to be carried out alongside TB
tests). This has changed brucellosis from a common cause of abortion to a very
rare disease in the UK.
Although Britain has done well to largely eradicate it, and the statutory testing
is no longer in place, this disease is still seen regularly in Ireland and other
European countries. It is a highly contagious disease, which causes abortion in
females and infection of the testicles in males. Affected cattle shed it for years
after infection.
The disease is notifiable, this means that its control is regulated by law.
Therefore, all abortions (or premature calvings) of cattle must legally be
reported to the local animal health office, and the dam usually needs to be
tested. Officially this means any calf born less than 271 days after service.
There is no cost to the farmer for the visit or testing, so there is no reason why it
shouldn’t be done.
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STRATHBOGIE VETERINARY CENTRE LTD
VETERINARY SURGEONS
39 Gordon Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, AB54 8EQ,
Telephone: 01466 792627 Fax: 01466 794962
“SERVING TOWN AND COUNTRY”
Jokes:
What happened when the ice monster had a furious row with the zombie?
He gave him the cold shoulder.
What do you get if you cross a chicken with a cow?
Roost beef.
What is the most popular sentence at school?
I don’t know.
Whats a skeletons favourite instrument?
A trombone.
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