Hopefully this is a stupid question. My neighbor has a major anaplas problem a few miles down the road. He lost 6or 7 cows last summer. He sold me the abandoned calves from them very cheap. I throw them on a milk cow so I have good replacement calves to go on heifers that loose there calf. Lost my first one last night so she is in the pen taking to one of these calves. Then the thought dawned on me, could I be exposing my herds to anaplas by turning this calf out with them come fly and tick season? Normally I buy dairy cross calves to do this, but I thought these beef calves were too good to pass up. Could this be a big problem? Or am I worrying about nothing
anaplas question
- Thread starter Tbrake
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wbvs58
Well-known member
I don't really know how things are over there but my line of thinking would be that if they came from just a few km down the road then the vectors spreading it would fairly endemic in the district, fly and ticks don't seem to respect barb wire fences so good chance that your cattle have already been exposed. What were the origins of the cattle your neighbour lost? Were they bred on the property or introduced? Could be that all locally bred are immune but problem with introduced cattle. That is how it would be here.
Ken
Ken
Bright Raven
Well-known member
Transmission is primarily by a vector, mainly ticks. There is also physical transmission by insects with biting or piecing mouth parts such as horseflies. The other means is by contaminated needles, which is from one infected animal to another by using the same needle.
It sounds like you are concerned that the calf might act as a reservoir for the bacteria, genus Anaplasma. If you acquired an animal that is infected, that animal may act as a reservoir. However, they would not directly infect the uninfected animals they herd with. It would still require a vector to infect the other cattle. Taking calves from a herd that is known to harbor Anaplasma is a risk. You may want to talk to your vet to formulate a plan for managing the risk. If you just received the calf, in the winter, there will not be a means of transmission until vectors are active.
It sounds like you are concerned that the calf might act as a reservoir for the bacteria, genus Anaplasma. If you acquired an animal that is infected, that animal may act as a reservoir. However, they would not directly infect the uninfected animals they herd with. It would still require a vector to infect the other cattle. Taking calves from a herd that is known to harbor Anaplasma is a risk. You may want to talk to your vet to formulate a plan for managing the risk. If you just received the calf, in the winter, there will not be a means of transmission until vectors are active.
They are cows he bought and threw out in the pasture. They have been there for several years. I have never lost one to it. My concern would be flys or ticks transmitting it from the calf I bought that it's mom died from anaplas to a non infected cow or calf via horse fly or tick
Bright Raven
Well-known member
Tbrake":2ak2whvi said:
Not going to happen until vectors are active. I assume it is winter there. But if the calf is infected it would act as a reservoir.
You have time. Have the calves tested that you got from the neighbor. Calves are fairly resistant unlike older cows or bulls.
I was not aware there was a test. I will look into that. Yes it is winter here, it does not concern me now. Spring turn out it the worry. Everything gets moved from the turnip and wheat fields to the summer pastures
Bright Raven
Well-known member
Tbrake":23i2dwyb said:
There is a test.
Bright Raven
Well-known member
Little side information. Fleming and Rowan County near me have had significant loses due to Anaplasma outbreak. Some seedstock producers have used it to sell Seedstock by advertising that all their Seedstock is Anaplasma tested negative.
Thank you very much. I feed ctc and try to be very diligent with fly control. Starting to get enough head that it's becoming harder to stay on top of it. Flys have been absolutly horrible the last 2 years, seems they are getting resistant to all the chemicals
Bright Raven
Well-known member
Tbrake":8nys5cy9 said:
Very pleased to provide information. I have heard the CTC via mineral is a joke according to my vet. You cannot achieve the levels necessary to prevent Anaplasma.
What state are you located?
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Simple answer is... yes, those calves are potentially a source of infection.
Calves are NOT resistant to infection... they just don't develop clinical disease, because their hematopoietic(blood-cell producing) system is in full-on mode, as they're growing - building bone and muscle. But, they can and do become infected, and will remain inapparent carriers for life... so, when fed upon by ticks, they provide the inoculum that the ticks then amplify and spread to naive herd members.
You could blood-test these calves; if they're infected, they'll be seropositive on the cELISA test; if negative, then they are not infected.
With the exception of the Anaplasma strains present in FL and CA, biting flies are a very minor route of transmission - it's vectored from animal to animal primarily by ticks.
It is, also, quite readily transmitted by reusing needles... small-scale study at KSU... cow with anaplas at the level of 1% red blood cell infection... they stuck a needle in her, then in the cow behind her; rinse, repeat. 6 of 10 test cows became infected.
Calves are NOT resistant to infection... they just don't develop clinical disease, because their hematopoietic(blood-cell producing) system is in full-on mode, as they're growing - building bone and muscle. But, they can and do become infected, and will remain inapparent carriers for life... so, when fed upon by ticks, they provide the inoculum that the ticks then amplify and spread to naive herd members.
You could blood-test these calves; if they're infected, they'll be seropositive on the cELISA test; if negative, then they are not infected.
With the exception of the Anaplasma strains present in FL and CA, biting flies are a very minor route of transmission - it's vectored from animal to animal primarily by ticks.
It is, also, quite readily transmitted by reusing needles... small-scale study at KSU... cow with anaplas at the level of 1% red blood cell infection... they stuck a needle in her, then in the cow behind her; rinse, repeat. 6 of 10 test cows became infected.
J&D Cattle
Well-known member
Bright Raven":2vy71jtq said:
What did your vet recommend for prevention if he was against medicated mineral?
J&D Cattle
Well-known member
Lucky_P":1xg1k8cs said:
Lucky you're a wealth of knowledge as usual. For those producers who do use a new needle for each animal do you use repeating syringes and just change needles or have most went to disposable syringes and needles?
Bright Raven
Well-known member
J&D Cattle":1lq9f5p4 said:
Dr. Stanfield gave a presentation specifically on Anaplasmosis. I cannot remember the calculations but the levels that can be achieved with CTC in mineral are 2 to 5 times lower depending on consumption rate, to act as any more than a low to no prophylaxis.
He pushed parasite control. Not necessarily fly control but parasiticides that control ticks.
Furthermore, change needles between animals. Test if you suspect you have it and cull carriers.
Edited to add: he suggested the possibility of having custom mineral mixed and gave the levels of CTC that would provide protection. I raised that prospect with the Mayslick Mill and they said they could not.
Bright Raven
Well-known member
J&D Cattle":2auzcgmh said:
That is a great question. I always have changed needles. But I reuse the syringe. If I see any bleedback into the syringe, I toss it. I suspect if I thought it was actually in my herd, I would not reuse syringe. So far, I have not needed to test for it.
