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Rabies Poses A Serious Threat To Dairymen In Pa.
LANCASTER Rabies, the
disease has received its share of
press recently thanks to the law
which went into effective Feb. 13.
The law requires all dogs and cats,
with the exception of bam cats, to
be vaccinated. The passing of the
momentous date has not quelled
concern for the ramifications of
the disease to livestock.
Producers attending the first
day of Lancaster County dairy
days quizzed Dr. Lawrence Hut
chinson, Penn State extension
veterinarian, on the disease.
“I think that most everybody has
heard that rabies is on its way to
Lancaster County. We’ve had a lot
of rabies in Southcentral Penn
sylvania in the last three, four
years. It’s been an epidemic. Up
until last year it was pretty much
west of the Susquehanna River. We
have it in Dauphin County and we
can suspect we’ll have problems in
Lancaster County’ Hutchinson
said.
“It’s a scary disease because it’s
fatal to almost every animal that
contracts it,” he said. Hutchinson
suggested ways that dairymen can
be “rabies-wise.” Top on his list
was vaccinating barn cats.
“Unfortunately bam cats are the
most susceptible, the most likely of
the domestic animals to pickup
rabies.”
“If you’re going to keep cats I
think you should have them vac
cinated. They are a risk to you,
your children, and your cattle.”
He recommended vaccinating
cattle for rabies only if the im
mediate area has high levels of the
disease. Prior to vaccinating, he
cautioned, the producer should
discuss the decision with the local
vet who is aware of the individual
circumstance.
The typical cow with rabies
appears dull, depressed, dopey,
unaware of surrounding and may
or may not beller. When a female
does beller, it may sound like a bull
or make other unusual sounds,
Hutchinson said. Sexually mature
animals appear in heat at ab
normal times for excessive
periods. Animals have difficulty
swallowing and sometimes
produce excess amounts of saliva.
Furious rabies is uncommon.
Dumb rabies are more common,
he added. Some of these signs
Lancaster Dairy Da
could also indicate other diseases,
Hutchinson explained.
Rabid animals are generally not
a threat to other animals, he said.
However, Hutchinson cautioned,
WOfkers could be contaminated
through a skin opening by the
infected animal’s saliva.
He recommended shooting any
rabies-suspicious wild animals but
not destroying the head. The body
should be turned over to
authorities to be checked for the
disease. Authories should be called
for any other animal, including
dogs and cats.
BVD
Bovine Virus Diarrhea does not
necessarily cause diarrhea
previously considered a major
sympton. “Today we have a lot of
animals that have BVD that don’t
have diarrhea. But they do have
one or the other of these types
(cytopathic or noncytopathic) and
very often it affects their
reproductive cycle,” Hutchinson
said.
He listed early embryonic death,
weak calves and abortion as main
signs of the disease.
The noncytopathic type is
jnty jry
Day were Louis Moore (left), Joseph Hlubik and Lawrence
Hutchinson, Penn State extension specialist.
“really a little treacherous little before.”
guy,” the Penn State vet said. This
type of virus exhibits no signs in
die infected animals and per
petuates the disease in the herd by
causing the animal to be a silent
carrier.
“We’re realizing it’s a
significant cause of some of our
reproductive problems that we’ve
experience but couldn’t explain
Immunity
Animals deficient in zinc, cop
per, selenium, manganese and fat
soluble vitamins do not mount a
good immune response when
vaccinated, Hutchinson said.
However, there is “no evidence
that we can produce a better im-
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