23/12/2021
DISTRICT VET WARNING:
Three Day Sickness (Bovine Ephemeral fever - BEF ) has been detected in NSW, at this stage around Casino/Lismore, but is expected to track south. It normally arrives in the mid coast and lower hunter area in late summer/early autumn but can sometimes arrive early as mosquitos carrying the virus move down the coast.
Unfortunately, vaccine supplies are very tight with most vets waiting on supplies to arrive from the manufacturer in January or February. If you would like to protect your stock against BEF, with vaccination, please contact your private vet to be placed on a waiting list. Effective vaccination to reduce the clinical signs of fever, lameness and recumbency requires two injections at least 4 weeks apart. The inter vaccine interval can be reduced to two weeks in an emergency, if the virus is imminent, but cattle might not have adequate time to develop an antibody response before they are infected.
We also suggest consulting your private vet so you can be prepared with suitable treatment on hand for any cattle that may be affected by BEF. Anti-inflammatory medication to manage fever and muscle inflammation and calcium injections for down cattle (ie a Flopak of Calcium supplement injected under the skin) to help with muscle function can assist. However, good nursing care to affected cattle is a must. Cattle do die from dehydration associated with BEF and can have muscle issues from prolonged recumbancy. Good nursing care is protection from the sun/heat, provision of water and food and lifting the recumbant animal, if safe to do so.
Here is a fact sheet on BEF infection and vaccination in a herd
https://www.lls.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1343795/factsheet-BEF-v2.pdf
Image courtesy of North Coast LLS
