Time to vaccinate for anthrax
As the peak anthrax risk period approaches, the district vets from the Riverina Livestock Health and Pest Authority are encouraging producers to vaccinate livestock to protect them from the disease.
"It is recommended that the anthrax vaccine be given annually in sheep and cattle in areas where the disease has been known to occur previously. As the disease occurs most frequently between October and March, now is the time for producers to commence getting their stock vaccinated", said Gabe Morrice, Riverina LHPA district vet.
"The vaccine has a 42 day withholding period, so producers should bear this in mind when treating stock that are close to market weights."
Anthrax is an acute infectious bacterial disease affecting many species of domestic animals, but also wild animals and humans.
"Anthrax is not discerning in its choice of victim, it will rapidly kill sheep and cattle of all ages and conditions. Often it seems the very best stock are affected.
"Although it always occurs as sudden death in sheep and cattle, I have seen many different presentations over the years, such as a cow with a very young calf at foot that looked as though they had been struck by lightning, and about 250 cattle and sheep that died overnight after being moved into a fresh paddock.
"Anthrax can survive in the soil for decades which means it can pose a risk over several years."
Anthrax cases, while uncommon, tend to be confined to the anthrax ‘belt’, which runs from the centre of NSW and into Victoria.
"Within the Riverina LHPA district, the key risk areas for anthrax include east and north of Deniliquin to the district boundaries with the anthrax belt spanning the areas of Finley, Corowa, Narrandera, Griffith and Hillston," said Dr Morrice.
"Where anthrax exists, the only known prevention is to vaccinate against the disease and to time this to occur prior to the likely incidence of the disease."
Dr Morrice reminded stock owners to have any sudden deaths in their stock investigated as a priority.
Contact your local Riverina LHPA district vet for more information on anthrax.
Media contact: Kylie Dunn 6391 3720 / 0428 465 378