SUBJECT: VETERINARY SUBJECTS FOR RADIO BROADCASTS
INTRODUCTION:
The following information is provided to the livestock producers and farmers of
Kandahar
Province as a service from the veterinarians in this area to help improve the
health of farm animals and the local farm economy. This information will be
presented as a series of several radio shows. Livestock production is one of the
most important sources of income for 80% of the families of Afghanistan; it is
critical that the farmers and veterinarians of this country fight together to reduce
animal diseases.
Presentation Number 1:
There are many diseases that affect farm animals in Afghanistan. Some diseases
can be prevented by vaccinating healthy animals with vaccines that protect them
if they are exposed later. Some diseases have no vaccine to prevent infection
and sick animals may be treated with medicines such as antibiotics; other
diseases are caused by deficiencies of minerals, poor quality feed, or by
parasites. Many diseases affect animals all year but some such as pneumonia
and nutritional deficiencies are worse in the winter months; others are seen in the
spring or summer (for example; diseases caused by parasites such as ticks, flies,
or stomach and intestinal worms are worse during warm weather).
Diseases affect animals in many ways:
- sick animals may have a fever or very high body temperature
- some diseases will make sick or kill most of the animals in a herd,
others are more mild and only affect a few animals
- they become weak and can't move or walk normally
- animals quit eating and lose weight
- female cows, goats, and sheep will stop producing milk
- female animals that are pregnant may abort or lose the pregnancy, this
can cause infection and possible death of the female. They may also
become infertile and unable to breed and produce offspring. This costs
the farmer money and reduces the value of his herd
- diseased animals may be permanently damaged and never grow to
full size or produce milk or meat
- some diseases can be transferred from to humans by eating meat or
milk from infected animals or by farmers having contact with the body
of the animal during slaughter or when treating a sick animal.
Infectious diseases in animals and humans are caused by very small microscopic
living organisms that can't be seen by the eye; they are:
1- Bacteria – these are small one celled organisms; some are normal in
the body of animals and humans and don’t cause disease while others
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can cause severe illness and death. Many can be treated with
medications called antibiotics such as penicillin, tetracycline, and
sulfamethazine. For some bacterial animal diseases there are no
antibiotics that can save a sick animal; also the antibiotics can be
expensive and difficult to find except in veterinary pharmacies in the
large cities. Diseases such as anthrax, enterotoxemia, tetanus, and
blackleg are caused by bacterial infections. There are good bacteria
such as the ones that make yoghurt from milk.
2- Viruses – are extremely small organisms that cannot be treated with
antibiotics or other medications. Vaccines may prevent infection with
some viral diseases but if an animal is already infected with a virus and
becomes sick, no vaccine or antibiotic medication can kill the infection;
we have to let the animal's internal defense system fight the disease
and eliminate the infection. Diseases such as influenza, foot and
mouth disease, sheep pox, and rabies are caused by viruses.
3- Fungus and molds– these are organisms that often cause diseases
of the skin, lungs, feet, and other parts of the body. Some types of
mold grow on animal feed and produce chemical toxins or poisons that
can make sick or kill animals that eat the contaminated feed. These
organisms often live in the soil, on plants, or in wet areas not exposed
to sunlight. Mold often grows on corn, wheat, and other grains if it gets
wet while being stored or if they are harvested when wet. Grain such
as corn that is damaged by insects allows the mold-fungus to enter the
seed and grow, especially if it gets wet. Some infections can be killed
or prevented by using chemicals such as chlorine bleach or iodine
solutions; others require expensive antifungal medications or chemical
treatments.
Mold contamination of feed grain can be prevented by storing animal
feed in dry locations and allowing grain to dry completely in the field
before it is harvested. Also treating crops with insecticides can help
prevent insects from drilling holes in the seeds or grain which allows
mold-fungus contamination. Leaks in storage buildings can allow rain
to wet the grain and allow mold or fungus infections to grow very
quickly. Moldy grain can also make humans sick and possibly die;
mold toxins can be passed into the milk of animals that are eating
contaminated feed and make humans and young animals sick from the
contaminated milk. Flour and bread made from moldy wheat can make
people sick if they eat it. Mold contaminated grain will often look dark
and discolored and may have a strong moldy odor. This feed cannot
be cleaned of the toxin and should not be fed to animals and should be
destroyed. Your veterinarian can help you diagnose this problem and
give you advice how to prevent contamination of feed.
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4- Parasites- there are many types of parasites …..some are small
insects or worms …others are microscopic organisms. Parasites make
animals and humans sick because they steal essential fluids, blood,
nutrients, and damage the body organs. Some live in the blood,
intestines, lungs, liver, and other internal organs, and others live on the
outside of the body on the skin, in the hair, in the ears. Many parasites
live in the soil or environment and are eaten when animal graze
contaminated pastures or attach them selves to animals and transmit
bacteria, viruses, or other parasites. Examples are stomach and
intestinal worms, liver flukes, ticks, lice, fleas, blood sucking flies,
mange mites, mosquitoes, horse flies, malaria, Babesia,
Anaplasmosis, and many others. Parasites cause several disease
conditions:
-Anemia – this is due to a loss of red blood cells caused by
parasites that suck blood and nutrients. This makes animals weak
and poor producers of milk, meat, and wool and can kill them if the
infection is heavy enough
-Weight loss
-Weakness
-Poor growth
-Dry, dull hair coat
-Skin infection and hair loss
-Diarrhea
-Low protein and swelling of the lower neck, chest, and abdomen
especially in young animals
-Poor production – reduced milk production, low weight and
muscle for meat, poor quality wool, infertility and or weak babies
-Death – if the animal is not treated with the proper medication
many animals will become weak and die
Many parasites can be treated with pesticides, de-worming medications,
and other drugs. Your local veterinarian can help diagnose these diseases
and recommend which drug is the best and most effective. Re-infection
after treatment is a serious problem because many parasites produce
eggs that pass from the animal in its feces and contaminate the soil of
pastures and pens. Cleaning manure from pens and pastures helps
reduce exposure to these eggs and treating the animals with de-worming
drugs at least twice (2X) per year will help improve their health and
production.
Presentation Number 2:
Veterinarians and farmers use different types of drugs to protect their animals
from disease, sickness, and to improve production. Some prevent disease in
healthy animals and others are used to treat sick animals or to kill parasites.
Many of these drugs are used in both humans and animals. Also, animals being
medicated with some drugs must wait 2 to 4 weeks before being slaughtered for
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meat or their milk used for human food because small amounts of the drugs may
be still in the animal's body for a period of time after the treatment is ended. The
length of time before the meat or milk can be eaten depends on which drug has
been used. This information is usually written on the drug container and be
explained by the local veterinarian.
The following is a list of common drugs types:
1- Vaccines – are used to prevent some diseases caused by bacteria
and viruses in animals and humans. Unfortunately there are not
vaccines for all diseases. Vaccines are made from parts of the actual
organisms that cause the diseases they prevent. When vaccines are
injected into animals, their body makes antibodies (a type of natural
protein) that protect the animal. Later, if the animal is exposed to that
disease, the antibodies will find and kill the bacteria or virus and
prevent the disease from causing infection. Vaccines prevent infection
with diseases but they cannot make a sick animal healthy…its too late
then. If an animal has already been exposed and infected with a
disease when the vaccine is given, the animal may still get sick later. It
doesn’t mean the vaccine is bad, but the animal was already getting
sick when it received the vaccine. Some vaccines are effective for long
periods but others require re-vaccination every year. Also, vaccines
are made from killed or inactivated living organisms or animal tissue so
they have to be kept refrigerated until the time they are used. This is a
problem for veterinarians and farmers in Afghanistan and many other
parts of the world that do not have electricity or refrigerators in remote
areas.
Antibiotics – are drugs that are used to fight infections caused by
bacteria only. They do not have any effect on viruses. They cannot treat
viral diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, PPR, Sheep Pox, Rabies
, and others. Antibiotics are sold as tablets, pills, injections, or as powders
or liquids that are added to feed or water. These drugs actually kill or
prevent the growth of disease producing bacteria but if an animal has
been sick for too long before treatment, there may be too much permanent
damage done to the body for the animal to recover or survive. Common
drugs used in animals are penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, sulfa drugs,
neomycin, and others.
2- Pain Relief and Anti-inflammatory Drugs – these drugs reduce
chemicals in the body of sick animals that cause fever, pain, and
inflammation. Some of the same drugs used in humans are used in
animals such as aspirin. These drugs do not fight disease or kill
infections, they only reduce the effects of infections on the animals
body. The most common pain relief drugs are Aspirin, Ibuprofen,
Acetaminophen, and Phenylbutazone. A veterinarian can help decide
which medication if best or if it is needed for a sick animal.
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4- De-wormers – these drugs are used to kill stomach and intestinal
parasites or worms. Most drugs are liquids or tablets that are given by
mouth; others are given as injections or poured on the skin. Parasites
can become resistant to some medications over time so farmers and
veterinarians must rotate drugs and not use the same one every time.
Also, some drugs kill only certain types of parasites but have no effect
on others. A veterinarian can decide which is the best and most
effective drug to use. Common de-worming medications are:
Ivermectin, Fenbendazole, Albendazole, Pyrantel, and Levamisol. As
with some antibiotics, meat or milk cannot be used from animals for 2
to 4 weeks after receiving some de-worming medications. This
information is usually listed on the drug container label and can be
explained by a veterinarian. Because animals are continually exposed
to parasites and their eggs in the soil and manure, they must be dewormed repeatedly to keep them healthy. Usually twice a year or every
6 months is effective; sheep and goats may have to be medicated 3-4
times per year because they may have very large numbers of parasites
in their intestines that suck blood and can kill them.
5- Insecticides – are chemicals that repel or kill external parasites ( ticks,
flies, lice, fleas) and are usually liquids or powders that are put on the
skin or hair of animals. Like de-wormers, they have to repeated
frequently to keep large numbers of parasites off the animals.
Insecticides are very strong chemicals that can be toxic if used
incorrectly; the recommended dose instructions and concentrations are
listed on the container and must be followed exactly. There is a risk of
illness and death if too strong an insecticide is used or if it is
overdosed. Also, some of these chemicals are poisonous to humans,
so farmers and veterinarians must protect themselves by wearing
rubber gloves, eye glasses, and extra clothing when medicating
animals. Insecticides must be stored in locked buildings or sheds to
prevent children from having contact. Many children are made sick or
die every year due to poisoning by insecticides. Waiting periods before
eating meat and milk from animals treated with insecticides must be
followed to prevent making people sick; this information is listed on the
container label. The most common insecticides are: Pyrethrin,
Malathion, Parathion, Carbyryl or Sevin Dust, Fenthion, DDT, and
many others. All can make animals and humans sick if not used
correctly as the container label says.
6- Other Medicines – there are many other drugs used to treat animals
with diseases or to prevent them.
- Calcium, Magnesium, and Glucose Solutions – are used to treat
deficiencies or low blood levels of calcium, magnesium, and glucose
(blood sugar) commonly seen in female animals before or after giving
birth. These are liquid solutions given directly into the vein and require
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the skill of a veterinarian. Not enough of these chemicals in the blood
can cause weakness, paralysis, or muscle spasms (contractions) and
will kill the animals if they are not treated quickly. These materials are
usually found in good quality feed and can also be provided to animals
in powder form or in a salt block that animals can lick.
Vitamin Injections – these are given to help animals that are weak
from disease or poor feed, become healthy. Normally, vitamins are
received from the feed (good quality green grass, fresh hay, and other
plants) but in the winter and during droughts, the feed available is of
poor quality or there is not enough. This will cause vitamin and other
severe deficiencies in livestock. Vitamin deficiencies cause poor
growth, weakness, infertility, skin diseases, or weak offspring. The
most common vitamins given to livestock are: Vitamin B Complex and
Vitamin A, D, and E solution injections.
Presentation Number 3:
This is a brief description of some of the diseases of livestock. We encourage
you to report any sick or diseased animals to the veterinarian and to ask his help
with your herds. Vaccine and medicines can be expensive or are often difficult to
find so fees must charged to allow the purchase of these valuable products from
supply companies in Kabul, Jalalabad, or even Pakistan. We encourage you to
support your local veterinary officers and help them continue to provide service in
this important area of Afghanistan.
In the future, farmers may be asked by the official veterinary agencies of
Afghanistan to let veterinarians collect blood samples to be tested in a veterinary
laboratory for diseases such as Brucellosis, Rinderpest, PPR, Foot and Mouth
Disease, Avian Influenza, and others. Farmers are encouraged to participate in
these important studies because this information is critical to help find and
eradicate animal diseases that prevent normal production of milk, meat, and
other animal products. Control of animal diseases helps provide better nutrition
for Afghan children and adults and helps farmers make better income from their
valuable herds.
Some farmers have been afraid to allow veterinarians to collect blood samples
from their animals because they fear the loss of blood will weaken the animals or
harm their health. The loss of a small blood sample does not harm the animal
because it such a small amount (usually only 5-6 ml or the same amount as a
spoonful of syrup or honey), also the needles used to collect the blood into the
glass tubes are new and sterile for each animal. Though the concerns of the
farmers are very understandable, it is not a problem for the animals. Also these
same tests and blood sample collections are used in all countries of the world to
help control animal and human diseases. Blood testing animals for disease is a
necessary tool to help veterinarians discover diseases when there are outbreaks
of old and new diseases that sicken or kill livestock. We appreciate your
concerns and your gracious support in our fight against animal diseases. The
veterinarians and farmers in this area have reported the following diseases.
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