Livestock health & diseases

Western Australia’s freedom from many pests and diseases allows our livestock producers access to a wide range of international and domestic markets. To maintain this enviable biosecurity status, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development ensures significant livestock disease is investigated. This information helps to assure trading partners that we are free of diseases.

Some diseases can have devastating effects on the livelihoods of everyone in the supply chain. To ensure the impacts on the economy and community are minimised, the department maintains trained, response-ready staff and systems to ensure an emergency animal disease incident is promptly and efficiently controlled. In addition, the risk of introduction of exotic disease is also managed by ensuring stockfeed contains appropriate ingredients.

Articles

  • In Western Australia, commercial poultry owners must comply with surveillance, reporting and biosecurity requirements in order to reduce the risk of Newcastle disease being introduced to their floc

  • Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia) is a disease of sheep, goats and cattle.

  • Nasal bots are the maggots or larvae of the sheep nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis.

  • The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has created the following guide to assist vets to collect appropriate samples during livestock disease investigations.

  • Photosensitisation is inflammation of the skin, and occasionally the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye.

  • Arthritis means inflammation in one or more joints. In sheep, it is usually the result of bacterial infection.

  • Brucellosis is an economically important bacterial disease of animals that can also affect people.

  • Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is normally produced by bacteria in the rumen of cattle and sheep on well-balanced roughage diets.

  • Botulism is a rapid onset, usually fatal disease caused by the botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

  • Melioidosis is a disease caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, which can affect animals and humans.

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