A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Thu 4 Feb 2010
Source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) [edited]
Widespread rain throughout central Queensland has caused a spike in
three-day sickness or bovine ephemeral fever in cattle.
The MLA's [Meat and Livestock Australia] Keith Walker says a single
shot vaccine is needed to help control the disease.
"I'd need to be practical and say at least a minimum 3-year horizon,
simply I think that the conclusion is that the needs of industry,
which have been particularly acute in the last year or 2 with
flooding and the rainfall patterns we've had, have highlighted the
need for a better tool for industry," he said.
Charters Towers vet Trevor Smith says the sickness mostly affects older cattle.
"I'd certainly suggest that bulls are vaccinated, bulls certainly
once they contract the virus it can affect their fertility," he said.
"Some recover and some don't recover; I'd certainly vaccinate those
cattle and depending on their production system, whether you
vaccinated cattle as well as wieners, to give them some immunity from
that stage on."
[Byline: Maria Hatzakis, Penny Timms]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) is an economically important viral,
arthropod-borne disease, exclusively affecting cattle and water
buffalo. The disease is known to be endemic in most tropical and
subtropical areas of Africa, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia.
There is serological evidence that animals might be infected in
central Russia. Some countries experience localized outbreaks in most
years; others report cases only during epizootics. BEF virus (BEFV)
is not found in Europe, North or South America, or New Zealand.
The BEFV is a member of the genus _Ephemerovirus_ in the family
Rhabdoviridae. There is only one serotype. Other members of this
genus (Adelaide River virus, Kimberley virus, Berrimah virus, Puchong
virus, and Malakal virus) can cross-react in some serological tests.
Its impact includes lost production -- decreased milk yield, loss of
condition, abortion, temporary infertility in bulls, and prolonged
recovery in some animals -- as well as trade restrictions. Although
mortality is usually low, cattle in good condition are affected more
severely; mortality rates as high as 30 percent have been reported in
very fat cattle.
Other Names for BEF are: bovine epizootic fever, ephemeral fever,
three-Day Sickness, three-day stiff sickness, dragon boat disease,
lazy man's disease, and dengue of cattle.
BEF is not included in OIE's list of notifiable animal diseases. For
additional data, including a list of available vaccines, refer to
Mod.AS]
[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Australia can be seen
at
[see also:
Ephemeral fever, bovine - Israel: southwest, susp. 20090713.2502
Ephemeral fever, bovine - Australia: (NSW) 20090313.1043
Ephemeral fever, bovine - Turkey: (SE), susp., RFI 20081012.3233
Ephemeral fever, bovine - China (eastern) 20070820.2715
Ephemeral fever, bovine - Tajikistan: OIE 20020814.5055
Ephemeral fever, cattle - Philippines (Luzon) (02) 20011019.2569
Ephemeral fever, bovine - Australia (NT) 20000507.0702]
...................................sb/arn/mj/mpp
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