Monday, 24 November 2014 10:53

Tick alert

Written by 
Theileria fully fed adult tick. Theileria fully fed adult tick.

DairyNZ IS alerting all farmers, including graziers, to keep an eye out for signs of a tick-carried disease that causes anaemia in cattle.

 The warning comes after MPI confirmed that a case of Theileriosis had hit a South Island West Coast farm this spring. MPI has concluded that a local population of infected ticks in Canterbury or the West Coast was responsible for transmitting infection to the 188-cow dairy herd.

Theileriosis is a disease caused by a species of Theileria, a blood-borne parasite primarily transmitted by ticks that only affects cattle. First identified in Northland in late 2012, this new strain of the disease, called ikeda, has been associated with anaemia and death in cattle.

"We are concerned that there may be infected tick populations in the South Island now. This latest case was linked to cows being grazed in the Canterbury area and then being brought back to the West Coast," says DairyNZ technical veterinary advisor, Dr Nita Harding.

Harding says that cases of Theileriosis are usually higher in autumn and spring and it is important that farmer remain vigilant at this time of year.

"We are advising farmers to consider the risk of moving young stock to grazier or run-off properties where the level of tick activity and Theileria may be greater than on the home property.

"This is a disease that can result in serious illness and death of cattle, and has affected some herds quite badly," says Harding

According to DairyNZ with the disease now present in the South Island, more cases are likely, especially in Nelson/Marlborough, where ticks are known to be present.

"At this stage, we just don't know exactly the degree of infestation or location of local tick populations and therefore the level of risk to different regions in the South Island," says Harding.

MPI have reported around 116 new cases of Theileriosis since September, with the disease now widespread over the northern half of the North Island and some cases reported in the lower half of the North Island.

DAIRYNZ ADVICE
1. Farmers should regularly check stock for ticks and treat animals as necessary.
2. Treat any new animals – particularly before moving cattle from one property to another.
3. Manage the tick population – inspect cattle for ticks. Tick treatments can reduce the tick load and severity of the disease.
4. Ease underlying disease or stress – for example, transition management, trace element deficiency, BVD (bovine viral diarrhoea) and facial eczema.

Signs of anaemia in dairy cows
• Cows straggling on the walk to the shed
• Increased respiratory and heart rate.
• Pale, rather than healthy pink, vulva.
• Pale udder, yellow eyes
• Cows with no strength or energy to do anything

For more information visit:

Ministry of Primary Industries www.mpi.govt.nz/

DairyNZ website www.dairynz.co.nz/theileria 

 

More like this

Close eye on animal truckers

Trucking firm are coming under particular scrutiny about transporting cows that aren’t fit to travel, says Chris Leach, DairyNZ senior developer - animal husbandry and welfare.

Second Waipa field day

The Waikato Regional Council plans to hold another farm planning and environmental sustainability field day after the success of their last event at the Kaniwhaniwha Stream.

Drying off: making it count

National average somatic cell count (SCC) levels have been dropping recently and are on track to reach a bulk milk SCC of 150,000 cells/ml by 2016.

Featured

Australia develops first local mRNA FMD vaccine

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

All eyes on NZ milk supply

All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.

Machinery & Products

Leader balers arrive in NZ

Officially launched at the National Fieldays event in June, the Leader in-line conventional PRO 1900 balers are imported and distributed…

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Full cabinet

OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter