Posted in: Health and Disease
Jejunal Hemorrhagic Syndrome (Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome) - Feb 22, 2009 - 8:50:59 PM
Recently, the personnel at ANC had the opportunity and privilege of hearing Dr. Neil Forsberg of Oregon State University. He presented facts indicating a mold, Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) is capable of infecting the ruminant GI tract and causing hemorrhage. Primary avenues of entry for mycotic infection in ruminants include the abomasum and Peyer's patches of the small intestine. Several pathogenic fungi can affect ruminants, but A. fumigatus has been detected by DNA analysis in this disease.

Posted in: Health and Disease
Foot-and-Mouth Disease - Feb 22, 2009 - 6:24:16 PM
FMD. These three letters could stand for various definitions, but for the last six months those associated with agriculture would immediately think of foot-and-mouth disease. It has galvanized state and federal authorities, produced biosecurity plans on farms that never had them, and induced a phobia of foreign travel among all sections of the population. It has raised food safety fears among the public, and its confusion with "mad cow disease" in the public eye has underscored the difficulty of bringing discussion of sometimes complex animal disease and human health issues into the public domain. It has prompted the re-examination of contingency plans for the control of FMD, brought new agencies such as federal and state emergency management into the preparedness mix, and put disease repulsion activities at this country's borders under intense scrutiny.

Posted in: Health and Disease
Displaced Abomasum's and Contributing Causes - Feb 22, 2009 - 1:51:25 PM
Recent research by the Michigan State University Animal and Dairy Science staff involved 1170 holstein cows from 67 high producing herds. Displaced abomasum is a common disease in high producing dairy herds. Financial losses can range from $256 to $406 per case. If undiagnosed or complications from surgery should result and death occurs, naturally the loss can be very significant.