Diseases that farmers now have to watch out for!

 Dr Danie Odendaal, a director of the South African Veterinary Association, says they have especially received reports of the widespread occurrence of lumpy skin disease and three-day tetanus. He urged farmers to vaccinate against the diseases without delay and to be careful of "home remedies" such as injecting cattle with disinfectants and giving aspirin pills intended for humans to animals.
He says prescribed treatments are plentiful. It also does not help to vaccinate animals that are already showing symptoms - then it is too late.

According to an information sheet from the Directorate Veterinary Services, prevention against the following diseases should now be high on every livestock farmer's to-do list:
Rift Valley fever
Bloutong
Button skin disease
Three-day disease
Horse sickness
Why?
A high incidence of these insect-borne diseases is expected due to high rainfall
These viral diseases are mainly transmitted by mosquitoes, mosquitoes and biting flies that are commonly found near wetlands, pans and along watercourses.
Button skin disease
Transmitted by biting flies
Susceptible animals
Cattle
The disease causes huge economic losses and the skins of infected animals are permanently damaged.
Symptoms (some or all)
Fever
Loss of appetite
Dilapidated and clear or purulent nasal discharge
Eyes are watery and inflamed
Round, hard, raised bumps on the skin
Legs are swollen
Ulcers on the nose, lips and mouth
Knobs on the udder and teats, often in combination with mastitis
Prevent and control by vaccination!
Calves should be vaccinated at 6 months of age (younger if the cows are not vaccinated or naturally infected) and thereafter once a year
Adult cattle can be vaccinated at any age
Rift Valley fever
Transmitted by mosquitoes
Susceptible animals
Pregnant ewes and newborn lambs
bucks
Sometimes cattle
Certain game species
Symptoms
High mort
 ality rate among newborn lambs, young goats and even cattle
Abortions
High fever
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Difficult breathing and death
Note: people can also contract the disease and then show the following symptoms:
 Flu
Temporary or permanent damage to eyes
Encephalitis
Bleeding
Prevent and control by vaccination!
Vaccinate lambs and young goats with a single dose of modified live vaccine
Do not vaccinate pregnant ewes or goats with a live vaccine, except when there is an outbreak of the 
 disease, and it is advisable to vaccinate all the animals.
Cattle must be vaccinated with an inactivated vaccine with follow-up vaccinations 3 to 6 months later and eventually only one vaccination per year.
Bloutong
Transmitted by mosquitoes
Susceptible animals
Sheep
bucks
Cattle
Wild ruminants
The disease can lead to serious economic losses, especially for sheep farmers.
Symptoms (some or all)
Fever
 Lethargy
Membranes of the nose and tongue are red
 Nasal discharge and saliva
Lameness
Whole head is swollen, especially around the jaw and lower down (neck)
 Sores in the mouth and bad breath
Loss of appetite and emaciation
Vrekte
Prevent and control by vaccination!
Three vaccinations are required, administered at 3-week intervals and should be repeated annually
Three-day disease
Transmitted by mosquitoes
Susceptible animals
·Cattle
Symptoms (some or all)
Start with fever
Animals keep themselves aside from the herd
Loss of appetite
Stiff legs
Looks like the animal is moving its weight from one leg to the other
Aqueo
 us nasal discharge
Eye Inflammation
Swollen joints
Low milk production and low quality milk (dairy cattle)
Abortions
Symptoms usually last only a few days before the animal recovers quickly. Milk production during lactation is never the same as before the disease.
 Prevent and control by vaccination!
Vaccinate especially dairy cattle and feedlot animals, as well as valuable breeding animals
Animals should be vaccinated in the spring (calves of mothers who are immune should be vaccinated at 6 months of age or older)
Horse sickness
Transmitted by mosquitoes
Susceptible animals
Horses, mules and donkeys
Symptoms (some or all)
Fever
Sweat
Difficulty breathing
Drowsiness
Cough
Nasal discharge
Drooling (occasionally)
Restlessness and swollen eyes and / or head
High mortality rate — only 3 to 50% of horses survive the disease.
Prevent and control by vaccination!
By law, horses, mules and donkeys must be vaccinated against the disease annually. The best time is before the hot rainy season. The vaccine consists of 2 doses administered 3 weeks apart. Animals may only exercise lightly in the period up to 3 weeks after vaccination
The use of the vaccine is prohibited in the equine disease-free and observation area of ​​the Western Cape. Written consent from the Director of Veterinary Services of the Western Cape is required to obtain vaccine in the area
Remember
There is no effective treatment for viral diseases and treating the symptoms is very expensive
Sick animals cause large economic losses as well as production and reproduction losses