121 Reports from veterinary practices and laboratories were received (Mpumalanga (MP) 11; Gauteng (G) 9; Limpopo (L) 9; Northwest (NW) 8; Free State (FS) 23; KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) 12; Eastern Cape (EC) 15; Western Cape (WC) 20: Northern Cape (NC) 7; Feedlots (FL) 1 and Laboratories (Lab) 6).

For the detailed report and previous reports go to www.ruvasa.co.za and click on Disease reporting.

Internal parasites

The following reports were received from practices regarding internal parasite infestations:

Internal parasites	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Roundworms	x	x		x	x	x	x	x
Resistant roundworms	x				x
Wireworm	x	x	x		x	x	x	x
Brown stomach-worm								x
Long-necked bankruptworm
Large-mouthed bowelworm
Nodularworm
Lungworm
Eyeworm
Parafilaria				x		x
Tapeworms	x	x			x		x
Liver fluke				x	x		x
Conical fluke	x				x
Cysticercosis (measles)	x						x	x
Schistosomiasis (bilharzia)
Coccidiosis	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Cryptosporidiosis		x			x	x	x

In many parts of South Africa there is a severe drought and the perception is that internal parasites do not occur. Please do not get caught as there may be some wet spots such as leaking water troughs and water piplines, irrigation, wet kraals, etc. on the farm. Water snails, the intermediate hosts of liver fluke and conical fluke worms concentrate as water levels drop and surprise oubreaks of these parasites may occur. Use the five point check to keep on top of what is happening in the flock. For further detail contact your local veterinarian.

External parasites

The following reports were received from practices regarding external parasite infestations:

External parasites	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Blue ticks	x	x		x	x	x	x	x
Resistant blue ticks
Heartwater ticks	x	x		x		x	x
Brown ear-ticks	x	x			x	x	x
Bont-legged ticks	x	x		x	x	x	x		x
Red-legged ticks	x				x			x
Paralysis ticks					x
Tampans
Biting lice								x
Sucking lice									x
Itch mites					x		x
Sheep scab
Mange mites	x				x
Nuisance flies	x	x			x	x	x	x
Midges	x	x		x	x	x		x
Mosquitoes		x		x	x			x
Blowflies					x		x	x
Screw-worm	x	x					x
Gedoelstia (uitpeuloogsiekte)
Nasal bot	x				x

Blue tick infestations were reported from most provinces. Blue ticks (African and Asiatic blue ticks) are able to transmit red water, anaplasmosis and lumpy skin disease.

Make sure to assess the blue tick resistance status on your farm before buying tickicides. Your veterinarian will be able to collect engorged blue ticks to be tested for resistance.

Actives to be tested for resistance are: organophosphates, pyrethroids, amidines, fipronil. Actives registered only for controlling blue ticks are: macrocyclic lactones, fluazuron (acaracide growth regulator).

Discuss your tick control programme with your veterinarian as controlling ticks early in spring can prevent large outbreaks of ticks in the summer.

Tick borne diseases

The following tick-borne diseases were reported by practices in the provinces:

Tick borne diseases	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
African red water	x			x	x	x	x	x
Asiatic red water	x	x	x		x	x	x	x
Anaplasmosis	x	x		x	x	x	x	x
Heartwater	x	x	x	x		x	x
Lumpy skin disease	x		x	x	x	x	x
Corridor disease
Theileriosis

Asiatic red water is spreading and is one of the deadliest diseases in cattle.

Numerous mortalities were reported!

The keyword is vaccinate your animals! Contact your veterinarian.

Anaplasmosis outbreaks were reported in 7 provinces. Biting flies are probably the main spreader of this disease!

The following tick toxicosis was reported by practices in the provinces:

Tick toxicosis	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Sweating sickness			x	x	x	x

This disease is caused by the toxin of the bont legged-tick.

Insect transmittable diseases

The following insect transmittable diseases were reported by practices in the provinces:

Insect transmittable diseases	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Lumpy skin disease	x		x	x	x	x	x
Ephemeral fever (Three-day-stiff sickness)	x	x	x			x		x
Blue tongue	x				x		x	x
Rift Valley Fever
Wesselsbron
Nagana						x

 As soon as insect populations increase with wet weather conditions,  unvaccinated animals with a lack of immunity to insect transmittable diseases,  will be the target of these diseases. Analysis of blood samples taken by an international research group in the Free State showed that antibody levels against Rift Valley Fever were very low although they were vaccinated. Poor cold chain management of vaccine? This is of great concern!

Out of experience from previous years the prevalence of insect transmitted diseases will increase in months to come until the first frost in May. The rains came lat this year.

Have you vaccinated your animals vaccinated against Rift Valley Fever?

Out of experience I can tell you that when outbreaks of diseases occur, vaccines will be difficult to acquire as many people will be ordering vaccines all at once.

Venerial diseases

The following venereal diseases were reported by practices in the provinces:

Venereal diseases	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Trichomonosis	x	x	x	x	x	x
Vibriosis		x	x	x	x		x
Pizzle disease
Actinobacillus seminis plus HPA

New cases of trichomonosis are reported every month and this disease is out of control. Make sure to buy bulls from farmers where biosecurity measures are in place and bulls are tested for these diseases at regular intervals. Trichomonosis were reported from 6 provinces.

Make sure that fences are in tact and gates closed so that bulls cannot escape to neighbouring cows that may be infected with Tritrichomonas and become infected or infected neighbouring bulls are jumping fences.

Bacterial diseases

The following bacterial diseases were reported by practices in the provinces:

Bacterial diseases	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Anthrax
Blackquarter	x			x	x	x
Botulism					x			x	x
Pulpy kidney	x				x	x	x	x
Lamb dysentery	x
Swelled head		x						x
Red gut (cattle)	x	x				x	x
Blood gut (sheep)
Tetanus	x				x	x		x
Salmonellosis	x			x			x	x
Klebsiella
Bovine brucellosis	x		x	x	x
Brucella melitensis (goats)
Ovine brucellosis (Ram’s disease)				x	x			x	x
Bovine tuberculosis
Johne’s
Leptospirosis
Listeriosis								x
Pseudomonas
Fusibacterium necrophorum	x						x
Septicaemia
E. coli	x	x	x	x	x	x		x	x
Enzootic abortion								x	x
Lumpy wool		x			x		x
Bovine dermatophilosis (Senkobo disease)
Uterine gangrene
Wooden tongue
Lumpy jaw								x

Multiclostridial vaccines should be used if blackquarter outbreaks still occur when only using a vaccine containing Clostridium chauvoei. Remember to give a booster vaccine when using an inactivate vaccine for the first time. Read the packet insert!! Study the table above and determine the risk for animals on your farm. Get advice from your veterinarian on Cryptosporidium/E. coli outbreaks in your area and what to do to prevent losses in lambs and calves.

Enzootic abortion contributes to the disappearance of foetuses in sheep and goats scanned pregnant. Vaccinate replacement ewes with the live vaccine before putting them to the ram!

Pulpy kidney  (Clostridium perfringens type D – epsilon toxin) is still the biggest killer of sheep. There are various factors that could lead to pulpy kidney such as: the intestinal tract stops functioning (stasis), sudden change from poor veld to lush artificial pastures; sudden change in diet; grazing of fodder crops such as lucerne, green wheat and green oats, diet high in protein, overeating of concentrates or fertile pastures, deworming and coccidiosis infection. Sudden changes in the weather and grazing in wilted pastures, may also play a predispositional role.

Viral diseases

The following viral diseases were reported by practices in the provinces:

Viral diseases	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
BMC (snotsiekte)	x			x	x
Rabies (cattle)
BVD									x
IBR			x
BRSV								x
PI3
Maedi visna virus
Rotavirus / Coronavirus						x
Enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL)								x
Sheep leucosis
Jaagsiekte								x
Orf				x	x			x	x
Warts	x		xx	x	x	x	x	x	x

There is no treatment for viral diseases with the result that animals have to be protected by vaccinations if they are available.

Preventative vaccinations are the best way to protect animals against viruses and bacteria causing pneumonia.

Keep cattle and wildebeest well separated especially when wildebeest are under stress to prevent snotsiekte outbreaks! There is also a sheep associated form of the disease.

Fungal diseases

The following fungal disease was reported by practices in the provinces:

Fungal diseases	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Ringworm	x		x		x	x		x

Protozoal diseases

Protozoal diseases	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Besnoitiosis (olifantsvelsiekte)

Toxicities

The following toxicities were reported by practices in the provinces:

Toxicities	MP	G	L	NW	FS	KZN	EC	WC	NC
Cardiac glycoside							x		x
Slangkop
Crotalaria
Gifblaar
Gousiekte	x	x
Cestrum (ink berry)					x
Tulip					x		x
Cynanchum (bobbejaantou)
Facial eczema					x			x
Lantana	x					x
Prussic acid							x
Acacia nilotica
Senecio
Cotula nigellifolia (stagger wood)
Geeldikkop (duwweltjies) and dikoor					x
Vermeersiekte
Hertia pallens (Nenta, krimpsiekte)
Chrysocoma ciliata (bitterbos)
Solanum incanum (maldronksiekte)		x
Gomphocarpus (Asclepias) fruticosus (milkweed)
Heliotropium (potato weed)		x
Bracken fern
January bush (Gnidia polycephalatus)
Chinkerinchee
Ceylons rose
Eucalyptus (bloekom) bark
Kikuyu								x
Ryegrass
Ganskweek
Paspalum staggers
Phalaris aquaticum (Phalaris staggers)
Photosensitivity (Turknael, Erodium moschatum)
Photosensitivity (Stellenbosch)
Lusern
Mycotoxicosis							x
Apergillus		x
Aflatoxin
Diplodiosis
Lupins
Harpuisbos
Syringa berries
Acorn
Cycad
Kraalbos, Geelbos (Galenia africana)
Radish
Carrot poisoning
Onion poisoning
Bracken fern
Pollen beetle ( Astylus atromaculatus)
Water contamination
Nitrate
Tannins
Urea				x	x	x
Salt
Wet carcase syndrome									x
Snake bite						x
Moth cocoons (impaction)
Blue green algae								x
Copper									x
Selenium						x
Zinc
Fluoride
Lead		x
Paraquat
Phosamine
Aldicarb
Organophosphate						x
Zinc phosphide
Pyrethroid
Amitraz								x
Levamisole
Ivermectin
Moxidectin
Oxytetracycline
Tilmicosin
Bromoxynil nitrate
Ionophor
Monensin
Hypo
Diazinon
Glyphosate
Chicken litter

Source: Ruvasa