November 2001

Top Ten Steps Dairy Producers Can Take Against Infectious Diseases

It is of the utmost importance that every dairy producer institute a biosecurity plan. Biosecurity is managing the herd to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases. The following is a list of "Top Ten Things Dairy Farmers Should Do to Protect Their Livestock from Infectious Diseases."
  1. Maintaining a healthy herd with proper biosecurity protections. The best biosecurity protection is a healthy, closed herd.
  2. Do not purchase any animals from any foreign country or source where cattle may have been exposed to a foreign animal disease such as FMD. Likewise, do not purchase replacement animals from domestic sources without determining the herd health status, particularly with regard to emerging cattle diseases such as Johne's Disease.
  3. Do not allow any visitors on the farm if they have been outside the continental United States in the past two weeks, unless you can verify that they have not been in close contact with any cloven-footed animal for the past five days.
  4. All visitors should be wearing clean clothing or outer coveralls and be required to wear disposable plastic footwear covering, or thoroughly wash boots and disinfect with an EPA-approved disinfectant such as Virkon-S or Oxonia Active/Oxycept 333. Household vinegar or acetic acid at 4%-7% in the absence of organic matter will effectively inactivate the FMD virus.
  5. Implement a quarantine program for all newly purchased animals, before introducing or exposing them to any animals in the herd. Develop an appropriate quarantine plan in consultation with your vet.
  6. Clean, disinfect and maintain all livestock treatment and handling equipment in a sanitary condition at all times. Milking, vet, animal identification and foot trimming equipment should be cleaned and disinfected or sanitized properly between use on individual animals, groups of animals and farms, as dictated by best management practices.
  7. Immediately report to your vet or State Vet any signs of blistering on the nose and mouth of any animal, including excessive salivation. Clinical signs of Vesicular Stomatitis or FMD may also be indicated by detachment of the epithelial surface of the tongue, ruptured blisters on the gum or at the end of the cow's teat. Quick reporting is absolutely essential, because these two diseases cannot be differentiated except through laboratory tests.
  8. Restrict unauthorized visitors and vehicles from entering any animal production related area. Off-facility traffic should be confined away from the herd and animal production areas to avoid spread of disease from other farms.
  9. Implement precautions to assure compliance with the FDA Ruminant Feed Ban. Be sure all purchased feed mixes or supplements do not contain prohibited mammalian protein such as meat and bone meal. If you are uncertain regarding a feed source, require a supplier letter certifying compliance with all FDA Feed Ban regulations. If you are mixing feed on the farm for other species such as poultry or swine, dedicate a seperate mixer and feed handling equipment for bovine use only. Avoid all possibilities of any cross-contamination from unapproved ruminant protein sources. Keep all invoices of purchased feed fora minimum of three years in the event there is a need to track back illegal sources of feed ingredients.
  10. Implement an active fly, rodent and bird control program. Avoid any feed bunk exposure to wildlife, if at all possible. Prevent urine and feces excrements from dogs and cats from contaminating feed and feed bunks. These vectors are well-documented carriers of diseases that can infect cattle.
The above list includes general precautions that will go a long way in ensuring that dairy farmers are actively engaged in minimizing potential exposure to infectious diseases including FMD. It is important to emphasize that we do not have, nor do we anticipate the onset of FMD in the United States. This list is provided to be preventative in nature.   This list was provdied by the National Milk Producers Federation.

2001 Dairy Extravaganza

Mark your calendars for November 27th or 28th and join us for the 2001 MN Dairy Extravaganza held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The Dairy Extravaganza will bring together dairy organizations and sectors that currently function in and across Minnesota. Hundreds of dairy leaders, dairy associations and promotion boards, University of Minnesota Extention Service, dairy equipment manufacturers will meet for discussions of the dairy industry.

Bus transportation will be available throughout the state each day for your convenience. You will be taken to the front doors of the Convention Center. The cost for the bus and your ticket to the North American Farm and Power Show is just $10.00. The five bus routes are as follows:

1. Winona-Plainview-Rochester-Cannon Falls
2. Sauk Center-Albany-St. Cloud
3. Windom-New Ulm-St. Peter
4. Staples-Little Falls-St. Cloud
5. Willmar-Litchfield-Waconia

Call 1.800.827.3442 to reserve your seat on the bus.

Anthrax Information

Anthrax has been in the news daily over the past couple weeks. However, anthrax is not a new disease.

What is anthrax, who gets it, and where has it recently been diagnosed?
Anthrax is a disease of both animals and humans caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. All warm-blooded animals are susceptible to the disease but cattle, horses, sheep, and goats are most commonly affected. During the summer of 2001
there have been confirmed cases of anthrax on 21 different farms in Northwestern Minnesota. Approximately 88 cattle, 2 horses, and two free-ranging white tailed deer have died from anthrax. The counties affected include Kittson, Roseau, Marshall, and Polk.

How do animals get anthrax?
The anthrax bacteria is picked up and swallowed by animals when they graze on contaminated pasture. Most outbreaks occur in areas where animals have previously died of anthrax, since the bacteria can form spores that can live for many years. Often, outbreaks occur after climatic changes such as heavy rain, flooding, or drought. Tilling and excavation work can also bring the bacterial spores up to the soil surface. Outbreaks occur when environmental temperatures are 60F or higher. Anthrax does not spread directly from animal to animal.

 How do humans get anthrax?
Humans usually get anthrax by skinning, or butchering infected carcasses, or by handling contaminated hides, wool, hair, or animal by-products. Anthrax of the skin is the most common form, accounting for nearly 90% of all reported cases. Inhalation anthrax may occur when a person inhales spores during the processing of wool, hair, or hides. People can also become infected with an intestinal form of the disease if they eat inadequately cooked meat from an anthrax-infected animal. Anthrax has not been diagnosed in humans in Minnesota since 1953.

 What are the clinical signs of anthrax in animals?
Often a seemingly healthy animal dies without showing any clinical signs. In the most acute form of the disease, an animal will suddenly stagger, have convulsions and die. Hemorrhage from the mouth, nose, and anus are common. Other symptoms include excitement, often followed by depression, fever, trembling, staggering, and difficulty breathing. Horses may show signs of abdominal pain. Carcasses from animals that die of anthrax decompose rapidly and rigor mortis is often incomplete. Pigs and carnivores are more resistant to the disease and may survive infection. These animals may develop swelling in the neck and throat or gastrointestinal disturbances.

 What happens when an animal is diagnosed with anthrax?
Animals that die suddenly of unknown causes in anthrax endemic areas should be treated as an anthrax suspect. A veterinarian should investigate the death and collect a blood sample to test for anthrax. A post mortem examination should not be performed since this releases large numbers of anthrax bacteria into the environment. All suspect and confirmed cases of anthrax should be reported immediately to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Once anthrax is confirmed, all animals on the farm are placed under quarantine for 30 days. Carcasses of animal that die should be burned and buried at least six feet deep. Remaining animals should be removed from the infected pasture whenever possible. Treatment with long acting penicillin can help prevent further death losses.

 How can anthrax be prevented?
Whenever possible, do not allow animals to graze in previously infected anthrax sites, or in adjacent low-lying areas where flooding may have contaminated the area with the anthrax spores. Vaccination of susceptible species is recommended in anthrax endemic areas.

Cows for Sale

Holetein Springing Heifers FOR SALE. Having sold a 100-cow herd they are selling heifers as springers.
Call Roger & Teri Hommerding @ 320.764.7726.

Cows For Sale is a service of Minnesota DHIA. Members can advertise for just $2.50 per animal with a maximum of $50 per herd (good for 60 days). For more information, talk to your Field Rep on sample day or call us at 800-827-3442.

Web Site of the Month

Our featured web site this month is www.forage.com

**Please take an oppportunity to check out this site.  Look for other suggested web sites each month.**