Sad News

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:16 pm

Issy, I have had a little experience with Neospora (unfortunately). I understand that the main methods of transmission are in the womb, through the birth fluids/newborn calves etc, and vertical transmission from mother to daughter (well, technically to all offspring, but only the daughters pass it on).

The problem I have found, and fear that you may too, is that it is difficult to produce an accurate test result for Neospora except in the last trimester of pregnancy or just after the cow calves. Your strategy of testing any female offspring before selling may not give you the definitive answer you are looking for.

I have a little heifer whose mother had it, but it seems is likely to have acquired it after the heifer was born but still at foot. I couldn't decide whether to breed from the heifer or not so had her tested. Test inconclusive. She is in fact in calf (fingers crossed), and I'll just have to wait and see. The only thing is that I need to keep her away from breeding cows during her pregnancy in case she aborts and the cows investigate so potentially picking up Neospora. Obviously I also need to keep a very close eye on her in case she aborts and foxes get to the calf.

The slightly more positive news (my vet tells me) is that once a cow has Neospora she is very likely to abort at the next calving, but something like 75 - 85% then calve normally. So, as you say, for beef that may be OK.

Hope this helps. Liz

Oh - one more thing - if you have dogs and there is any chance they may have been near the dead calf, you need to worm them to ensure they don't pass it on.

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:37 pm

This has been, for me at least, perhaps the most useful discussions on the site
I knew nothing about neospora - ignorance isn't always bliss! Another thing to worry about I suppose - if foxes can spread it what about badgers?
Going to encourage the local shoot in their killing any foxes around - we've had another 'drop' bundle of urban foxes left to fend for themselves near us. 5 killed in quick succession all near or on our land.
Jo

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:07 am

So it is true, Jo, there has been a persistent rumour round here (West Wales) that the RSPCA collect urban foxes and take them out to the countryside where they are a wretched nuisance. Wild foxes at least have a reasonable respect for farm housing and people (on the correct assumption that said people are NOT pleased to see them). Urban foxes have been confused by some people feeding them (bless!!) and are far more trouble.

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:13 am

Liz, thanks for the information, I didn't realise that the tests might not work but as I only have the two breeding heifers keeping all the offspring for beef is not the end of the world. yes my dogs did get at the remains after the fox had but I didn't think that wormers would get rid of it, I have just been very careful clearing up after them ( I did anyway as I don't like dogs mess all over the place). I thought that my vet said that it didn't but I will check. It is hopefull news that 75 to 85% will go on to calve normaly after contracting it which gives me more reason to keep the two I have got rather than introduce new stock onto the ground. My other heifer is still in calf but I have a feeling of dread every time I check on her.

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:15 am

Sorry I forgot to add we have loads of foxes around here and every evening now I am cleaning up at least 3 fox toilets.

Liz · Post by **Liz** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:16 pm

Issy, am keeping my fingers crossed for your other heifer....

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:38 pm

It is so sad to have a feeling of dread when checking an in-calf heifer - thinking of you Issy.
The urban foxes are easy to spot - when trying to hide out to shoot them don't 'squeak' like a rabbit rattle a couple of stones in a coke tin and they will come running!
Also found turning on a light makes them advance rather than nip away. Some killed animals have mange... wonderful for our wild population. One killed near here a couple of years ago had plaster of paris still on a repaired broken leg!
I rest my case. The urbanites deny it all.
Jo

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:52 pm

We suspect that even the Isle of Bute has been the recipient of a consignment of foxes, several have been shot in the last year and lots of sightings - The wild foxes of adjacent Argyll are almost never seen, though sheep owners know they are there all right. Bute has not had foxes or badgers in recent centuries.

Duncan

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 9:55 pm

Thanks Jo, I feel a lot of anger towards our local fox population at the moment!! By a happy (ish) coincidence both our dogs were wormed two days after Emu lost the calf as I had missed doing them in Dec and thought that whilst I was at the vets I would pick some up.

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 1:22 pm

Have just spoken to the vet and wormers won't kill neospora in dogs but antibiotics will, so mine are starting those A.S.A.P.

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:52 pm

How many farmers give their dogs antibiotics? I have a couple of dogs which come and are used with my stock and I bet no one tests for neospora either. This all gets worse doesn't it? Duncan, how common IS neospora and should we be worried or is it just extreme bad luck to have a cow/calf affected?Jo

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:19 am

I promised some days ago to post more on Neospora and have been rather slow to do so largely because I simply do not know all the answers. The following are highlights from a Moredun Institute Newssheet on the subject.

Neosporosis is an important, infectious disease of cattle worldwidethat results in abortion and stillbirth.

Neosporosis is caused by Neospora Caninum, a single celled organism (A protozoan parasite).

Neospora eggs (oocysts) are produced by dogs and excreted in their faeces.

Cattle will become infected if they eat food or drink water contaminated with Neospora oocysts.

Infection in cattle is common and may frequently be passed from mother to calf with no ill effects. The parasite has evolved this important mechanism to aid its survival.

Disease occurs when Neospora multiplies in the cells of the developing calf and its placenta and causes sufficient damage to trigger abortion or stillbirth.

Control of Neospora abortion is difficult but certain managementrules can be applied to reduce the risks.

Pharmaceutical preparations are known that will kill Neospora but their use to control infection/disease in cattle is either impracticable or not effective.

No vaccine is currently licensed for preventing neosporosis in cattle.

Current knowledge suggests that Neospora does not cause disease in human beings.

_

I am left with some questions after reading this as it says nothing about limiting infection in dogs. I am pretty sure that wormers will not affect it, and I am not so sure about antibiotics. I suspect the only drugs which will touch it are of the type used to limit Toxoplasma in sheep which I do not think can be used in dogs. The only thing you can do about your dogs is to keep them away from cattle when not working and clean up after them. In fact the issue of the dogs may not be as important as we might think as there is probably a large number of cattle already infected but only a few of them show any signs by aborting - thus the hesitancy to say Get rid of all cows which are positive after aborting - many others in the herd may already be harmlessly infected.

I cant help thinking that it is very fortunate that human eyesight is limited in what can be seen - if we could see theese things, bacteria and viruses, we would all die of fright before breakfast.

Duncan

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 10:44 am

Thank you Duncan,

Your reply is much the same as my vet has said. I think that it is something that we are going to have to learn to live with and manage the best we can.

Issy

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:29 pm

Hi Duncan,
I have someone interested in buying a bull off me who along with several other tests wanted the bull tested for Neospora. Can bulls carry it and pass it on?
Monica

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:39 pm

Hello Monica,

As usual I am a bit in trepedation of not being quite right but my understanding of the disease is that it is most unlikely that a bull could pass on Neospora. The cow, and I expect a bull could equally easily, becomes infected by the ingestion of oocysts in food or water contaminated by faeces from infected dogs or foxes. Sometimes these directly form tachyzoites which can cross the placenta and infect the foetus, but it is thought that it is much more common for a cow to become infected, the organism forms a stage known as bradyzoites, which encyst primarily in the brain. Then later when the cow is pregnant some change occurs in the cow's immune system which allows the circulation of tachyzoites in the bloodstream which infect the placenta - ie most abortions result from already infected cows. These theories do not seem to me to leave much way open to the bull infecting anything.

Do know why they want the bull tested? There are many more obvious diseases to have bulls tested for - IBR BVD leptospirosis, johnes TB Brucellosis to name the first few that spring instantly to mind. Maybe they have had reason to fear neospora either by their own experience or that of others, maybe they have been advised by someone that they should test for neospora, but don't really know why themselves. I would be interested to hear more of "why?"

Duncan