How to prevent and treat bluetongue in cattle and sheep in summer? All the methods are here

Bluetongue is a viral infectious disease, and its main transmission vectors are Aedes mosquitoes and Culex mosquitoes. Cattle and sheep are susceptible to infection after being bitten.

Clinical symptoms

In the early stage, the sick sheep's body temperature rises to 42°C, with listlessness, reduced appetite, lagging behind the flock, runny nose and drooling, edema of the upper lip, and the swelling can spread to the entire face and ears, with congestion and cyanosis of the oral mucosa. After fever, the epithelium of the oral mucosa, especially the lips, cheeks, and tongue, becomes eroded and ulcers develop. Blood seeps from the ulcer surface, and secondary infection causes necrosis of the mucosal epithelium, oral fetor, purulent discharge from the nostrils, and difficulty breathing. Sometimes inflammation may occur in the coronary band and laminae of the hooves, resulting in lameness. Constipation and diarrhea occur alternately, with bloody dysentery. The course of the acute form is 1 to 2 weeks, with a mortality rate of 30%, sometimes as high as 90%. After infection in a cattle herd, the mortality rate can reach 20%.

Prevention and control measures

Strengthen care for sick animals, keep them away from strong sunlight, wind, and rain, and feed them easily digestible feed; every day, wash the oral cavity and hooves with 0.1% potassium permanganate solution, then apply Bingpeng San. To prevent infection with other diseases, sulfonamide drugs or antibacterial drugs such as penicillin can also be injected; do not buy cattle and sheep from epidemic areas, and when buying from other places, quarantine should be strengthened; regularly give cattle and sheep medicinal baths to remove external parasites; use vaccines to give preventive injections to cattle and sheep over 6 months of age, once a year.