Three Day Sickness Warning

CASES of three day sickness have spread to Tea Gardens and animal health experts predict the bovine disease will be present in the Upper Hunter within the next month.

Bovine ephemeral fever, commonly referred to as three day sickness is transmitted by mosquitoes and midges and typically reaches the Upper Hunter in late summer, early autumn.

Heavy and high producing animals, such as bulls, pregnant cows and dairy cows appear to be the most severely affected and while the symptoms typically last three days, some animals are affected for weeks.

Dr Jane Bennett, district veterinarian for Hunter local land services, said farmers should consider ordering vaccines now so that their animals are immune.

“It causes flu like symptoms and if you can imagine sitting out in a paddock with a high temperature in the summer heat, it’s not conducive to getting well, so providing them with shelter food and water is very important,” said Dr Bennett.

“We can provide medication for them which helps take down that temperature for them, a little bit like when you have paracetamol when you have the flu to take the temperature down a bit, we can support them with that as well,” she said.

“If you have high producing dairy cows or bulls vaccinating is a good option,” she said.

“The thing you have to take into account with bulls is if they get a raging high temperature their infertile for at least six weeks because it kills off their semen and their function is to breed so that’s one of the reasons for vaccinating them.

“There has been very little thee day sickness in the area over the last couple of years so many younger livestock will be vulnerable this year,” Dr Bennett said.

The vaccine typically takes four weeks to provide adequate immunity and needs to be ordered from a veterinarian.

Producers can contact the Hunter Local Land Services for more information: www.hunter.lls.nsw.gov.au or phone the Scone office: 02 6540 2400.