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2010-01-10 06:41:14 - Biological Hazard - Australia EDIS CODE: BH-20100110-24487-AUS
Date & Time: 2010-01-10 06:41:14 [UTC]
Area: Australia, State of New South Wales, Mildura, Hillston, Ivanhoe and Mossgiel, '!!! WARNING !!! Damage level: Heavy (Level 3)
Not confirmed information! Description: Cattle farmers in western NSW are counting a mounting death toll as herds of corpses litter paddocks after succumbing to an unknown disease. The disease is causing growing concern as it continues to spread among livestock properties, with farmers from Mildura, Hillston, Ivanhoe and Mossgiel reporting mystery deaths in their herds. Head veterinarian with the Western Division of DPI Dr Greg Curran yesterday admitted the disease behind the deaths was yet to be identified, expressing his unease at the severity of the illness. Early speculation had salmonella poisoning blamed as the cause of the deaths but as more autopsies are carried out a rare salmonella outbreak is becoming less and less likely to be the sole culprit. "There are various possibilities," he said. "We are finding salmonella damage in some of the cattle but then we are opening other up and finding damage from something else. "We are still working on an overall diagnosis. "It has been quite severe in some mobs." Mossgiel farmer Terry Huntly is feeling the full brunt of the unknown sickness, with 66 percent of one of his herds struck with the virus. He is said the biggest worry of the illness is the speed in which calves and cows are affected before death. "We only have 22 left in the mob," he said. "They look healthy three to four days before they are sick, then they get diarrhoea before they start to slime something from the mouth. "Then they are dead." In order to quarantine his farm, Mr Huntly has moved the two healthy herds to the far corners of the property to limit their contact with the sick livestock. "We are keeping them to one side of the property," he said. "I know of at least seven other farmers that have this happening on their property but we are the only property so far that has had it go through the whole lot. "IT was just attacking the calves early in December and the older ones were standing up to it better, but now it is killing the cows as well." Mr Huntly and Dr Curran share a growing anxiety over the inability to find an antibiotic or treatment showing a response in the sick animals. "We have attempted various treatments but at this point antibiotics and treatments have not been as successful as hoped," he said. "We saw something similar to this in 2006; we saw what appears to be the same sort of problem." Local farmers will be relieved to hear at this stage it looks unlikely the disease will spread into the Riverina, with Mr Curran confident the disease will be contained in the effected region.
The name of Hazard: Undiagnosed Cattle Disase (Fatal)
Species: Animal
Status: Suspected
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