Welcome! Our Agricultural Science Lessons Continue. Do have great moment studying with us!
Lesson Note
Subject: Agricultural Science
Topic: Animal Health Management
Lesson Objectives: At the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:
i. Discuss the various disease causing pathogens in animals,
ii. State the ways diseases are transmitted in animals,
iii. Explain the ways these diseases can be prevented and controlled.
Discussion:
1. Viral Diseases of Livestock
(A) Foot and Mouth Disease: Host animals are sheep, goats, cattle and pigs.Causal organism : Virus
Symptoms
i. Excessive salivation (produces excess saliva)
ii. Sores appear on the animals’ feet, tongue, checks, lips
iii. Inflammation of teat and udder.
iv. Lameness and dribbling
v. Fever, loss of weight and appetite.
Transmission
i. Air-borne droplet infection
ii. By direct contact through drinking water, food and bedding
iii. By direct contact with an infected animal
Effects/Economic Importance
i. It lowers the economic value of the animal in terms of milk production.
ii. It affects the meat or call quality
iii. It causes the animal to emaciate and die.
Preventive and Control Measures
I. Apply routine vaccination treatment
ii. Proper management and sanitation
iii. Quarantine imported animals before mixing them with the old stock.
iv. Isolate the infected animals and if possible destroy them to reduce the chances of spread.
(B) Rinderpest Disease: Host animals are cattle, sheep and goats
Causal organism: virus
Symptoms:
i. Dull rough looking coat
ii. Rise in body temperature
iii. Blood stained diarrhoea
iv. Quick discharge from mouth, nostrils and eyes.
v. Grinding of teeth
vi. Large sore at times appear on the skin
vii. Loss of appetite.
Transmission:
i. By direct contact with the infected animal.
ii. By direct contact with food, drinking water and beddings
Effects/Economic Importance
i. It affects the meat quality
ii. It pre disposes animals to secondary infection
iii. The animal loses weight or emaciates.
iv. The animal looks pale and anaemic because of the blood stained diarrhoea
v. In the case of lactating animals, the milk production drops.
vi. Death of the animal.
Preventive and Control Measures:
i. Isolate the sick animals to reduce chances of spread.
ii. Destroy the infected animal either through burning or burying the carcass.
iii. Proper management and sanitation
iv. Quarantine the animals before mixing them with the old stock.
(C) Newcastle Disease: Host animals include poultry (chicken, turkey, guinea fowl etc).
Causal organism: Virus
Transmission:
i. Through drinking water and food
ii. Improper disposal of dead birds
iii. Through
- Nervous paralysis (twisting of neck)
- Loss of weight
- Difficulty in breathing
- Coughing, sneezing and ruffled feathers
- v. Discharge from eyes and nose
Effects/Economic Importance
- Loss of weigh.
- It reduces egg production.
- Loss of appetite.
- It affects meat quality.
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Slaughter infected birdsii. Isolate infected birds to reduce chances of spead.iii. Bury or burn infected birdsiv. Apply routine vaccination treatment.(2) Bacterial Diseases of Livestock
(A) Anthrax: Host organisms are cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses.Causal organism: Bacteria (Bacillus anthracis)
Transmission:
i. By ingestion of materials containing spores or virulent bacilli
ii. By biting flies as in the case of horses.
iii. Through the carcases of the infected animals
iv. Inhalation of spores by workers in wool and hair industries.
Symptoms:
i. After death, blood discharge through all the natural orifices or openings such as nose, anus
ii. Diarrhoea
iii. Abortion
iv. Blood stained milk
v. Swelling of throat
vi. Small haemorrhage appears in the skin.
Effects/Economic Importance
i. The animals affected lose weight
ii. The affected animal becomes anaemic because of loss of blood
iii. Death of the infected animals
iv. Loss of appetite
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Burn or bury the infected animals or carcases
ii. Apply routine vaccination treatment
iii. Quarantine the infected animals
iv. Isolate the infected animals to reduce the chances of spread.
(B) Brucellosis (Bovine abortion)
The disease is characterised by the infection of the uterus and foetal membranes causing abortion or late pregnancy and infertility.
Causal organism: Bacteria (Brucella abortus)
Transmission:
i. It is transmitted by an infected cow or bull
ii. Through the ingestion of infected materials such as foetal membranes
iii. Through blood sucking pests such as ticks
iv. From animal to animal through contact, contaminated feed and water.
Symptoms:
i. Premature birth or frequent abortion of litters
ii. Sterility, inflammation of uterus, testicles and joints
iii. Retention of after birth (placenta)
iv. Lameness or paralysis may occur in pigs
v. Reduces milk production
Effects/Economic Importance
i. It reduces milk production
ii. It affects the meat quality
iii. The infected animals are subjected to emaciation
iv. The animals affected show anaemic condition.
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Use Brucellosis free stock among herd
ii. Carry out a periodic Brucellosis blood test conducted on the breeding stock.
iii. Treat with antibiotics
iv. Ensure proper sanitation of the environment where the animals are kept
v. Immunize the animals
(C) Tuberculosis: Host animals include; cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and poultry.
Causal organism: Bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)
Transmission:
i. Through the inhalation of infected droplets.
ii. Through contaminated food and drinking water
Symptoms:
i. Acute, dry cough which becomes more frequent and painful as the disease progresses.
ii. Cough becomes moist and soft.
iii. Production of stringy sputum mixed with blood and pus.
iv. Watery faeces (diarrhoea)
Effects/Economic Importance
i. There is reduction in milk production and egg production in poultry.
ii. The animal affected loses weight or shows emaciation condition.
iii. Loss of appetite by the infected animals.
iv. The affected animal may look anaemic and die.
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Strict isolation of the infected animals
ii. Treat the animal affected with B.C.G vaccine and immunization.
iii. Slaughter the affected animals
iv. Burn or bury the carcasses of the infected animals
v. Ensure that the environment where these animals are kept are in good sanitary condition.
(D) Mastitis: Host animals are sheep, goats, cattle and pigs.
Causal organism: Bacteria
Transmission:
i. Infectious mastitis is due to the entrance of bacteria into the mammary glands.
ii. Bacteria from dirty floors, milker’s hands, etc
iii. Through injuries on udder and teats.
Symptoms:
i. Swollen udder or inflammation of the udder
ii. Wound around the teats
iii. The temperature of the animal rises
iv. The udder becomes hot and painful
v. The harvested milk becomes infested with blood.
Effects/Economic Importance
i. Loss of appetite
ii. Emaciation or weight loss of the animals
iii. The infected animals become anaemic due to blood loss
iv. The animals are exposed to secondary infection.
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Clean barns and sheds
ii. Prevent over crowding in cow sheds or pens.
iii. Wash the udder and teats with mild antiseptic before and after milking
iv. Remove sharp objects that cause bruises to the udder and teats of the animal
v. Isolate the sick animals to prevent further spread of the disease.
(3) Protozoa Diseases of Livestock
(A) Trypanosomiasis or Nagana Disease: Host animals include; cattle, pigs, goats and sheep.Causal Organism: Trypanosome (Protozoa)
Transmission: The parasite Trypanosome is transmitted by the insect vector tse-tse fly.
Symptoms:
i. General weakness of the body of the infected animals
ii. Dull rough coat
iii. Fever or high temperature
iv. Sleepiness
Effects/Economic Importance
i. Emaciation or loss in weight
ii. Loss of blood or anaemia
iii. Causes sleeping sickness in the animal
iv. Reduction in milk yield or Production
v. The meat quality of the animal is affected
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Control the blood sucking insects by spraying the surrounding with insecticides
ii. Isolate the sick animals
iii. Injecting drugs that can kill Trypanosome parasites in the blood stream of the animal
iv. Eradication of wild animal carries in and around the ranch or pasture.
(B) Coccidiosis: Host animals are poultry and rabbits.
Causal organism: Eimeria spp (Protozoa)
Transmission:
i. Through the infected food and drinking water
ii. Through the infected bedding materials
Symptoms:
i. Blood stained diarrhoea
ii. General weakness of the body
iii. Dullness and unthriftiness
iv. Drooping wings
v. Huddling or crowding together
Effects/Economic Importance
i. Emaciation or loss in weight
ii. Loss of appetite
iii. Reduction in egg production or delay in egg laying
iv. Retardation of growth
v. Death and loss of blood
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Slaughter affected birds
ii. Bury or burn the carcasses of the infected birds
iii. Isolate sick birds
iv. Avoid wet beddings or litter
v. Disinfect pens regularly
(C) Babesiasis (Red water diseases): Host organisms include; sheep, goats, pigs, horses, dogs.
Transmission: Babesiasis or red water disease is transmitted by blood sucking parasites called ticks
Symptoms:
i. Rise in body temperature of the animal
ii. General weakness and staring of the coat
iii. Salivation
iv. Lachrymation
v. Diarrhoea and anaemia
Effects/Economic Importance
i. Emaciation of the animal or loss in weight
ii. Low milk yield
iii. Loss of blood or anaemia
iv. Poor meat quality
v. The infected animals are predisposed to secondary infection
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Elimination of the tick vector
ii. Spraying or dipping the body of the infected animals with acaricides
iii. Vaccination of the animals
(4) Fungal Diseases of Livestock
(A) Aspergilosis (Brooder pneumonia): Host organisms include; poultry, mammals, man. It affects the respiratory tracts of these animals.Causal organism: Fungus (Aspergillus fumigatus)
Transmission:
i. Through hay or straw fed to the animals
ii. Through inhalation of Aspergillus spores from the environment.
Symptoms:
i. Respiratory diseases
ii. Drooping feathers
iii. Fever
iv. Diarrhoea
v. Death from asphyxiation (want of air)
Effects/Economic Importance
i. Emaciation or loss in weight of the animal
ii. Reduction in egg Production
iii. Loss of appetite
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Disposal by burning of mouldy hay or straws
ii. Proper sanitation of the animal environment
(B) Ringworm: Host animals include; cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, man, birds.
Causal organism: Fungus
This is a disease of skin and hair.
Transmission:
i. Transmission is favoured by high temperature
ii. Fungus may be carried on ropes used for restraining the animals
iii. It can spread by direct body contact with each other
Symptoms:
i. Circular lessons on the skin of the animal
ii. Itching or skin irritation
Effects/Economics Importance
i. It causes itching and scratching
ii. Emaciation or loss in body weight
iii. Loss of blood or anaemia
iv. It causes delay in milk production
v. It causes reduction in egg production
Prevention and Control Measures
i. Isolation and treatment of infected animals
ii. Use of fungicidal hygiene
iii. Pens should be scrubbed with a 2% formaldehyde
iv. Be improving the diet of the animals.
Done studying? See all previous lessons in Agriculture.
Take a quick test for this lesson
1. Discuss the various disease causing pathogens in animals.
2. What are the various ways diseases are transmitted in animals?
3. Explain the ways these diseases can be prevented and controlled.
Questions answered correctly? Bravo!!
Do stay connected to itsmyschoollibrary.com for more educational contents.