Cattle rabies: what are the symptoms and signs, treatment and vaccination schedules

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that occurs in wild and domestic animals, upon contact with them (bite) and the saliva of a sick animal gets into the wound, the virus is transmitted to humans. The source of the disease is often cats, dogs, foxes, bats and ordinary mice, cows (cattle) become infected with rabies from them. What actions are required when a virus is detected on the farm, how to prevent its occurrence, today's conversation is about this.

Causes of disease

The disease develops after the entry of the Neuroryctes rabid virus into the body of an animal. A cow can be bitten by an infected mouse, sick dog, fox or other wild animal, then the virus enters the wound along with the saliva of the carrier.

Another way to become infected is to spread the infection through contaminated feed, such as hay that has been contaminated with the saliva of a sick animal, or lumps of s alt found in a barn. This happens if purchased infected animals enter the farm.

The virus has a bullet shape, its highest concentration is found in saliva, tears, cerebral cortex, ammon horns of sick animals. It is well preserved at low temperatures; when boiled, it dies instantly; in unutilized corpses of sick animals, it can be preserved for years. After infection, the virus enters the spleen of the animal, from there it penetrates the central nervous system, affecting the brain.

Rabies in animals was described by Democris and Aristotle even before our era. Over the long years of studying rabies, they have not been able to defeat it, the disease remains deadly for animals and humans. The only way to combat it is vaccination. Rabies is found all over the world, except for Antarctica and island nations (Japan, New Zealand).

Signs and symptoms of rabies

Rabies affects the central nervous system of animals. Infected cows become lethargic and lethargic or overly agitated. The subsequent stages of the development of the disease are characterized by rabies, increased salivation, and self-gnawing. There is a violent and calm form of bovine rabies.

Rampant Form

This form of rabies is characterized by intense arousal in animals. Cows are acting atypical:

becoming aggressive, jumping, banging their heads against walls;
roar loudly, may attack other animals;
try to comb or gnaw at the site of entry of the virus (bite);
shortness of breath and photophobia occurs.

The next stage in the development of rabies in cows causes paralysis of the lower jaw and respiratory organs. Then the legs fail. The animal stops swallowing and moving. Complete paralysis sets in.

Calm

This course of the disease is more typical of cattle. With a calm form of rabies, the following symptoms appear:

animals are lethargic, lethargic;
cows lose their appetite;
dramatic weight loss;
lost gum;
photophobia occurs, animals try to hide in a dark corner.

The next phase of the development of rabies is characterized by the development of paralysis of the lower jaw (the mouth opens, the tongue falls out). The cow stops chewing and swallowing food, refuses food and water. There is complete paralysis and death of the animal. The incubation period of rabies in cows can last from 2 to 12 months, the acute phase of the disease is 5-7 days.

Diagnosis

If the behavior of the animal seems strange, you should separate it from the rest of the livestock and call a veterinarian. If the veterinarian detects signs of the disease, the head of the animal is sent for analysis. It is carefully packed in 5-6 layers of polyethylene and immediately taken to the diagnostics. The laboratory is conducting a study of the brain of a cow.

Important: due to the special danger of the disease, all diagnostic measures are performed without a queue.

The result is immediately reported to the head of the district and the chief sanitary doctor. Upon confirmation of the diagnosis, the farm and the area where it is located are immediately quarantined. Be sure to isolate animals that do not have obvious signs, but may be sick. They are examined by a veterinarian 3 times a day. He althy livestock are examined by a veterinarian every 3 days to detect new cases of the disease.

The barn is treated with a solution of formaldehyde or caustic soda. The manure is carefully removed, the litter is burned, the feed from the feeders, s alt and chalk in the barn are destroyed. Feeders and drinkers are disinfected. Other animals on the farm (cats, dogs) are examined and vaccinated.

Things of farm workers (robes, gloves) that could get saliva of sick animals are disposed of. If the possibility of infection is suspected, vaccinations are required for farm workers.

Important: the saliva of an infected animal can enter the human body through wounds, scratches and cuts on the hands. Quarantine is lifted 60 days after the discovery of the last case of the disease.

Is it possible to cure and what to do with corpses

Rabies causes 100% animal mortality. Treatment is not carried out due to inefficiency, sick cows are destroyed, milk is completely utilized, the corpses of cows are burned, processed into meat and bone meal, disposal in cattle burial grounds is allowed. He althy animals (all available livestock, cats, dogs, other animals) are revaccinated.

Is it possible to eat the meat of sick animals for food

When a diagnosis of rabies is established, the area in which the disease is detected is closed for quarantine. Animals are not imported or exported from the area. Milk, meat, skins of sick animals are completely burned. You can not eat meat, drink milk, even after heat treatment.

The meat of vaccinated animals that are suspected of having rabies, but the diagnosis is not confirmed, can be eaten, the animal is examined by a veterinarian before slaughter and issues a certificate of the animal's condition.

Vaccination schedule

The first rabies vaccination is given to calves at 6 months of age, then the vaccination is repeated every 2 years. In case of a difficult epidemiological situation in the area, calves are vaccinated from 3 months. Vaccination is done during the dry period, when cows do not give milk. Do not vaccinate weakened, sick animals. Calf cows are not vaccinated.

The vaccine vial is shaken to mix, after opening it, the vaccine is completely used. The cow is injected intramuscularly with 1 milliliter of the drug. The vaccine should not be frozen. In case of accidental violation of the tightness of the vial, it is poured with boiling water and boiled for 7-10 minutes to completely destroy the virus. The vaccination is done with sterile disposable syringes, the vaccination site is disinfected with alcohol. Vaccinations are carried out by veterinarians. Vaccination documents are kept by the farmer and the district he alth officer.

Other prevention measures

In order to prevent the spread of rabies among the livestock of cattle, it is necessary to monitor the state of incidence in the area where the farm is located.Destroy breeding wild animals. Protect the herd from attack by wild animals, fence off walking areas. Vaccinate domestic animals (dogs, cats) against rabies. To instill a he althy livestock of cattle, calves. Timely vaccination of animals, preventive measures taken in the farm, avoid mass infection of animals and save livestock.