In late summer, be on the lookout for:
Salmonellosis in sheep
- Heavy worm burdens and stress may lead to summer outbreaks.
- Water sources contaminated with faeces in confined feeding or after rapid summer rain run-off into dams are a common source of infection.
- Most commonly caused by the variant typhimurium in Western Australia.
- Signs can include fever, reluctance to move, foul-smelling diarrhoea and abortions in ewes.
- Move sheep to a clean paddock, feed good quality hay, discuss treatment options with your veterinarian and reduce stressors.
- Salmonella is zoonotic (can be transferred to humans) so exercise good hygiene practices if you suspect your sheep may be affected.
- Read more about salmonellosis in sheep.
Water quality issues
- Stock production can be affected by poor quality water.
- Blue-green algae poisoning occurs in dams and troughs when the water is warm and can cause sudden death, neurological signs and liver disease.
- Contamination of water sources with organic material could put livestock at risk of botulism or salmonellosis.
- Salinity will increase during summer due to evaporation.
- Read more about water quality for livestock.
Livestock health during transport
- Animals loaded for long-haul transport during the summer may be at greater risk of illness when it is exacerbated by dehydration.
- Animals must be fit to load and in good physical condition.
- Use low-stress handling and prepare adequately for the journey.
- Read more on animal welfare during transport.
Food gifts from overseas could bring foot-and-mouth disease with them
When employing workers from overseas, please ensure they are aware of food importation regulations and the reasons for these restrictions. A producer recently notified DAFWA that their casual farm worker had received an airfreight parcel containing a gift of meat products from family overseas. Without this notification, these sausages could have been fed to farmed or feral pigs. Illegally imported meat and dairy products can contain the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus and are the most likely way an outbreak of FMD could occur in Australia, as was seen in 2001 in the United Kingdom. An FMD outbreak would devastate the Australian livestock industry and could cost an estimated $52 billion over 10 years. Please report any risky feeding practices to your local DAFWA veterinary officer.
Further information can be found at the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources - importing food webpage.
Previous issues
Previous issues of WALDO - for vets and WALDO - for producers are available on the DAFWA website on the newsletter archive page or by searching 'WA livestock disease outlook'.
Feedback
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