COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
Common Cattle Diseases: Symptoms, Treatment And
Prevention
Dr Ashok Singh (Professor & Head)
College Of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry
Mhow (Indore) Madhya Pradesh-453 446
Introduction
Cattle diseases cost m illions of rupees losses e ve ry
year. In addition to death, the y cause loss of
production and frequently a loss of body condition.
Unhealthy animals re quire more food and take longe r
time for growth than healthy ones. Gene rally,
animals are born free of disease s or parasites. But,
the y usually acquire these maladies eithe r through
contact with diseased animals or due to imprope r
sanitation, feeding, care and management. One
should be vigilant against cattle diseases as dairy
cattle are affe cted by a varie ty of diseases.
Knowledge of cattle disease s is ne ce ssary from public
health point of vie w also as many diseases can be
transmitted to man through m ilk . Keeping animals
healthy by confining purchases to healthy he rds, by
prope r quarantine at the time of bringing in ne w
animals, by employing sound principle s of sanitation,
management and feeding and by judicious use of
appropriate and dependable vaccines are the
practical and e conom ical ways to avoid losses from
the disease . By prope r management and feeding, the
dairy farme r can, to a great ex te nt, pre vent disease
out-breaks. Good housing assists in maintaining the
health of the he rd, whe reas judicious feeding not
only builds up body re sistance to disease but also
he lps in speedy re cove ry in case the re is a disease
attack .
1 Anthrax
The re are three types of anthrax which affe ct sk in,
lungs and the dige stive system . Gene rally, outbreaks
of this disease occur in areas whe re animals have
pre viously die d of anthrax, due to the prese nce of
spores which remain viable for de cade s. Cattle
infe cted with anthrax will progress from a normal,
healthy state to death in a matte r of hours. Anthrax
is a critical disease which is caused by Bacillus
anthracis. Anthrax is a highly infe ctious and fatal
disease of mammals. The bacte rium is a spore-
forming micro -organism that forms many more
bacte rium if right conditions are available. Humans
can also be come infe cte d with anthrax by dealing
with products from infe cte d animals or by breathing
in anthrax spore s.
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Commom Symptoms: De finite signs of weak ness
in he rd cattle , difficulty in breathing, convulsions,
bloody discharge s from natural openings of the body,
mild fe ve r & muscle ache s & stomach pain. Anthrax
is primarily a disease of domestic and wild animals,
particularly he rbivorous animals, such as cattle,
sheep, horses, mules, and goats. Outbreaks in swine,
dogs, cats, and wild animals held in captivity
ge ne rally re sult from consumption of contam inated
food. The disease may occur in an acute or sub acute
form. Anthrax typically cause s an unusual rise in
body tempe rature fo llowed by depression, cardiac
distre ss, stagge ring and death. Affe cte d animals
some times die of suffocation. Prophylactic
vaccination is ex tensively used in pre venting anthrax
in livestock .Bloody discharges some times come from
the natural body ope nings, and fluid swe llings may
appear on diffe rent parts of the body. During
outbreaks, strict quarantine measures should be
adopte d. In horses and pigs, anthrax spreads more
gradually with progre ssive swe lling of the throat and
ne ck . The disease is highly contagious. Ex treme
caution should be used in handling infe cte d and dead
animals.
Treatments: Fluoroquinones like ciprofloxacin,
le vofloxacin, or ofloxacin are prefe rred treatments for
anthrax. C iprofloxacin, Te tracycline and
Doxycyclineare to be used only as se cond-line of
de fense .
Vaccines & Prevention: Vaccination is ve ry
effe ctive in preve nting furthe r occurre nce of anthrax
in animals. This is useful eve n afte r an outbreak has
occurre d but the time for re sistance is about 14 days.
Antibiotics should not be used toge the r with
vaccines.
2. Black-quarter
This disease is wide spread amongst cattle in ce rtain
parts of India, particularly in Karnataka, Tam il Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Sporadic cases
occur in the northe rn and easte rn states of the
country. The disease is common in areas with
mode rate rainfall and whe re dry-crop cultivation is
common. Young animals in the prime of condition
and six months to three years old are affe cted more
than othe rs. Buffaloes usually suffe r from a milde r
form of the disease. O utbreaks ge ne rally occur with
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
the onset of rains. True black-quarte r is caused by
C lostridium chauvoe i. It affe cts mostly start and
sturdy animals. Fe ve r with redne ss of e ye. Hot
painful swe lling in the affe cted leg. C repitating sound
on pressing the affe cted part of muscle . Death may
occur in se ve re case s in 1 or 2 days
Symptoms: The disease usually occurs in an acute
form, affe cted animals dying within 24 to 48 hours of
the onse t of symptoms. The re is high fe ve r with a
hot, tense, painful swe lling us ually in one of the
quarte rs, more often a hind-quarte r, although such
swe lling may also occur in othe r before death, the
swe lling be comes cold and painless and crepitates on
pre ssure due to the presence of gas in it.
Prevention and control: To pre ve nt the spread of
infe ction and contamination of the soil with spores of
the causal organisms, carcase s of animals dead of
black-quarte r should be e ithe r buried dee p and
cove red ove r with lime or should be
cremated. Administration of penicillin in repeated
doses may be e ffe ctive if inje cted before muscle
damage has been caused. Use of black-quarte r
vaccine prote cts animals against the disease for
about a year. Animals should be vaccinated with this
about three to one month before the onse t of rains.
3 .Brucellosis
Brucellosis is an infe ctious disease caused by the
bacte ria of the genus Brucella. Bruce lla is passed
among animals such as cattle , sheep, pigs, goats,
dee r, dogs, and humans. Bruce llosis is spread when
an othe rwise healthy animal comes in contact with
an infe cted animal or an area which has been
contaminate d by an infe cted animal. Drink ing,
eating, or inhaling the bacte ria will cause
infe ction.Brucella is the causative organism of the
disease . The m icrobes ente r the bodies of cattle and
othe r animals through sk in wounds and inhalation.
Any bodily fluids, discharge s, aborted fe tuses,
afte rbirth, unpasteurize d m ilk, or carcass from an
infe cted animal can contain the infe ctious bacte ria.
Common Symptoms: If a pregnant animal is
infe cted, it m ight give birth to weak or lame calf, or
the calf may be aborted, milk production is reduce d,
enlarged joints with arthritis, ute rine infe ctions afte r
a birth & re duced rates of conce ption Brucellosis
causes conside rable damage to cattle . Milk
production is reduced to low le vels and the animals
steadily lose we ight. The animals have problems
while moving and grazing. Brucellosis is one of the
most critical diseases of cattle. The spee d of infe ction
is fast and amount of damage caused by the disease
is expensive . Bruce llosis is transmitted to susce ptible
animals by dire ct contact with infe cte d animals. R isks
are too great when the disease is carried from one
he rd to anothe r by an infe cte d or expose d animal.
Treatments: Repeated attempts to de ve lop a cure
for Bruce llosis in animals have faile d. Some animals
may re cove r afte r a pe riod of time but the y pose
more dange rs. The y can be powe rful sources of
infe ction.
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Vaccines & Prevention: Vaccination is a must for
cattle. The re is an approved Bruce lla vaccine which
can be easily give n to animals by an authorized
ve te rinarian. Vaccination is most effe ctive if it is done
during 4 to 6 months of age. As control measure s,
Brucellosis may be avoide d with good sanitation and
management practices.
4 Haemorrhagic Septicaemia
This acute septicaemic disease of cattle is wide ly
pre valent in India. It occurs gene rally in low-lying
areas pe riodically inundated by rainwate r and in areas
whe re irrigation facilitie s have deve lope d. The causal
organism, Pasteurella multocida, is a small gram-
ne gative cocco -bacillus, commonly calle d bipolar
organism on account of the intensity with which is
stains at the poles. Redness of e ye and lancination
along with fe ver. Se ve re dyspnoea. Hot painful
swe lling at head, jowl region or brisket region. In
se ve re cases sudden death may occur due to high
fe ve r and se ve re dyspnoea
Common Symptoms: The disease gene rally runs
an acute course . Cattle and buffaloes ofte n de velop a
highly septicaemic condition and die within the
course of about 24 hours of infe ction. Affe cted
animals show a high rise in body tempe rature. The
lesions comprise haemorrhagic spots in the lymph
nodes, on the se rous membranes and in othe r
organs, including the inne r lining of the heart; spleen
is normal in size . The entire gut is highly inflamed
and intensely red with bloody contents.
Treatment and prevention: Early cases of the
disease are amenable to treatment with
sulphonam ides, notably sulphadimidine coupled with
antibiotics, such as penicillin, but on account of the
short course of the disease and its te rmination in
sudden death, animals are se ldom available in good
time for treatment. Vaccination with the improved
type of adjuvant vaccine, carrie d out about a month
be fore the onset of rains, will prote ct animals against
the attack of the disease for about one year. In
endemic areas such vaccination should be carried out
e ve ry year.
4 Mastitis
This disease is characte rized by the inflammation of
the udder, resulting in changes in the udde r tissue and
its se cre tion. Infe ctious mastitis results from infe ction
with one or more of the many organisms associated
with cattle in all countrie s whe re dairy industry is we ll
de ve loped, and the disease is of great e conom ic
im portance to the m ilk produce r. The disease is also
wide ly prevalent in m ilch animals in India. C linically,
the disease may be re cognized as acute , sub-acute
or chronic, and these form s may depend on the type
of the causal organism conce rned. It may be
accompanied by systemic disturbance , with a rise in
body tempe rature of the affe cted animal and othe r
fe brile symptoms, but usually it occurs in the form of
a localize d involvement of the udde r, with a
progressive damage to the udde r tissue . The milk is
affe cted both in quality and in quantity, and as a
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
result of pe rmane nt impairment of the function of one
or more quarte rs m ilk production may cease
altoge the r. Both cows and she-buffaloes suffe r from
the disease .
Treatment: Success de pends on the nature of the
ae tiological agent involved, the se ve rity of the
disease and the ex tent of fibrosis. Comple te re cove ry
with freedom from bacte rial infe ction can be obtained
in cases of re cent infe ction and in those whe re
fibrosis has taken place only to a small ex te nt. Such
drugs as acriflavine , gram icidin and tyrothricin have
now ce ased to be in use , and ha ve give n place to the
more effe ctive drugs, such as sulphonamides,
pe nicillin and streptom ycin.
4 Tuberculosis: Tube rculosis is an ancient disease
of man, animal and birds. O nly a fe w countries are
free of this disease . It is an infe ctious disease,
characte rized by slow de ve lopment of tube rcle s in
almost any organ of the body ex cept the skele tal
muscles. The incidence of tube rculosis depe nds upon
a varie ty of factors re lated to husbandry, hygiene and
environment. The incidence is high whe re intensive
cattle breeding programmes are carried out in
countries whe re animals are housed indoors during
the winte r months.Tube rculosis in cattle and buffaloes
is caused by the bacte rium Tube rculous bacilli. The
bacte ria ente r the body usually through food,
some times the y are dire ctly breathed into the lungs.
The disease d animal may contam inate the drink ing
wate r and ve ssels. The ex cre tions like fae ces, urine,
sputum, e tc. of the diseased animal may contain the
bacte ria and be a source of infe ction . appear until the calf is little older. The infe ction is
7 Symptoms: The symptoms of tube rculosis de pend
on the organ affe cted as any of the organ may be
involve d. Moreove r, an affe cted animal may show no
clinical signs e ven though it may be seve rely affe cted.
Howe ver, following symptoms may be obse rved in an
affe cted animal. The infe cted animal ge ts we ake r day
by day and be comes inactive and dull. Hard, dry
cough occasionally but not ve ry pronounced in cows.
If intestine is affe cted the re will be tympany and
diarrhoea. If udde r is affe cted, the re will be swe lling
of one or more tea ts with no pain. The symmetry of
the udde r may be lost. The milk be comes wate ry, the
quantity re duced and ge ts curdled on boiling.When
the re is tube rculosis of reproductive system, the
abortions occur late in pre gnancy. The conception rate
is ve ry low. The re is thick ye llow discharge from the
vagina of infe cte d animal.
4 Treatment: The treatment of tube rculosis is not
re commended, as it is ve ry prolonged and the results
are unre liable. The animals unde r treatment are liable
to disseminate organisms in m ilk for human
consumption. The tube rculin is wide ly used
throughout the world for the control of tube rculosis in
animals. In India whe re control by test and slaughte r
is not possible , Bang's method of control has been
found to be use ful. This method is based on disposing
of all the clinical case s. The calve s born of
tube rculosis-infe cte d cows are free of infe ction. The
animals not showing tile clinical sign are subje cte d to
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tube rculin testing. The reactors and non -reactors are
kept separate ly. The healthy group is tested e ve ry 3 -
6 months. Calve s born of healthy animals are allowed
to remain with mothe rs while those from reacting
mothe rs are weaned immediate ly afte r birth. This
me thod leads to a progre ssive increase in the numbe r
of bealthy animals and de crease of reactors. For
pre ve nting the spread of the disease . Hygienic cattle
sheds with ade quate space ve ntilation, fresh air, e tc.
must be provided. The carcasses of affe cted animals
should be burnt or burned, six fee t deep with lime .
9 Johne's Disease: Johne 's disease is a usually
fatal and pe rsistent infe ction that affe cts the small
intestine of ruminants. Ruminants are cud-che wing
hoofed animals such as cows, buffalo or bison. Johne’s
disease is a type of Para tube rculosis of the cattle in
which the re is conside rable loss of production. The
disease affe cts young calves but the symptoms
appear only afte r 2 years of age.The disease is caused
by Mycobacte rium paratube rculosis, a bacte rium
re lated to tube rculosis. The Johne’s disease ge rm is
ve ry pe rsiste nt. It has the ability to live for a pe riod of
up to 12 months on the ground. As the bacte rium
pre fe rs to live in the ground, most of the infe ction
comes from the ground .
Common Symptoms: Unexplained we ight loss,
strange diarrhea with normal appe tite , soft swe lling
unde r the jaw, nursing cows have reduced m ilk
production & production losse s may be up to 10% for
each. affe cted animal . Johne's disease typically
starts as an infe ction in calves. Visible signs do not
difficult to de te ct in its early stages. The most
common me thod of animal-to-animal spread is to the
calf from its dam. The udde r be comes a rese rvoir of
ge rms and more calves can get infe cted if the re is
cross-suck ling. Some calve s may also be born
infe cted. Once the re is protein loss from the
bloodstream into the digestive tract – the days of the
affe cted animals is numbe re d. The cattle will not live
ve ry long, pe rhaps for only a fe w we eks.
Treatments & Prevention: A pe rmanent cure for
Johne ’s disease hasn’t been de ve loped as yet. But
the spread of the disease can be effe ctive ly managed
and for this a vete rinarian should de finitely be
consulted. Calves should be born in a healthy
environment. The re should be a positive e ffort to
reduce the ne wborns expo sure to manure from adult
animals. Colle cting m ilk from diffe rent animals and
the n feeding them to young calve s should be
avoided. All the affe cted as we ll as healthy females of
the he rd should be identified. Since the mothe rs
spread the disease at an early stage, pre cautions
should be high for them. All the affe cted animals
should be separated from the he rd and prefe rably
culled.
8 Foot-and-mouth disease: The food-and-mouth
disease is a highly communicable disease affe cting
cloven-footed animals. It is cha racte rized by fe ver,
formation of vesicles and bliste rs in the mouth, udder,
teats and on the sk in be tween the toe s and above the
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
hoofs. Animals re cove red from the disease pre sent a
characte ristically rough coat and deformation of the
hoof. In India, the disease is widespread and assumes
a position of importance in live stock industry.The
disease spreads by dire ct contact or indire ctly through
infe cted wate r, manure, hay and pastures. It is also
conve yed by cattle attendants. It is known to spread
through re cove red animals, field rats, porcupines and
birds.Foot-and-mouth disease occurs in a re latively
milk form in India and is se ldom fatal. It occurs
practically all the year round.
Common Symptoms: Feve r with 104-1050 F ,
profuse salivation ropes of stringy saliva hangs from
mouth, Vesicles appear in mouth and in the inte r
digital space, lameness obse rved , cross bred cattle
are highly susceptible to it . Quick spread and the
occurre nce of lesions in the mouth and fee t of
affe cted animals are characte ristic symptoms. It
pre sents some similarity to rinde rpest, from which it
can be readily diffe re ntiated by the abse nce of
diarrhaea and by the presence of the foot lesions. It
can be cured by se ve re antibiotic the rapy and topical
application of ointments
Treatment: The ex te rnal application of antiseptics
contributes to the healing of the ulce rs and wards off
attacks by flies. A common and inexpensive dressing
for the lesions in the fee t is a mix ture of coal-tar and
coppe r sulphate in the proportion of 5:1 .
Control and prevention: Heavy milch animals and
exotic breeds of cattle bred for m ilk should be
prote cted regularly.It is advisable to carry out two
vaccinations at an inte rval of six months followe d by
an annual vaccination programme . Isolation and
segregation of sick animals. It should be informed
immediate ly to the ve te rinary doctor. Disinfe ction of
animal sheds with bleaching powde r or
phenol .Atte ndants and equipments for sick animals
should be ideally separate .The e quipments should be
thoroughly sanitized,prope r disposal of le ft ove r feed
by the animal Prope r disposal of carcasses & control
of flies.
9.Rinder pest: Rinde rpe st is the most destructive of
the virus diseases of cloven -footed animals, such as
cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs and wild
rum inants. Its control was a major issue till re ce ntly
all ove r the world. O rganise d efforts ove r half a
ce ntury have brought about a total e radication of the
disease in the Weste rn Hemisphe re . The disease still
pe rsists in the Asian countries. The virus is found
notable in the saliva, discharge from e yes and
nostrils, and in the urine and fae ces. It is prese nt in
the circulating blood during the febrile stage and is
late r concentrated in diffe re nt organs, espe cially in
the spleen, lymph nodes and live r. Outside the
animal body, the virus is rapidly destroyed by dire ct
sunlight and disinfe ctants. Cold prese rves the
virus. The virus is usually spread by contam inated
fee d and water. Rise in tempe rature upto 104 – 107
0 F. Lacrimation and redness of e ye. Foul odour from
mouth. Discre te ne crotic foci de velop in the buccal
mucosa, inside lip, and on the tongue . Bloody mucoid
diarrhoea is noticed.
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Treatment: Symptomatic treatment with penicillin,
stre ptomycin, sulphadimidine and inte stinal
antiseptics has no action on the virus, but may he lp
in the re cove ry of less se ve re cases of rinde rpest, as
these control se condary complications cause d by
bacte ria.
10.Bloat: Cattle's stomachs have two compartments.
One is the rumen and the othe r one is the re ticulum.
Bloat is a digestive disorde r in which gas is
accumulated in the compartments. Foam some times
forms when live stock consume highly digestible
legumes such as alfalfa. The build up of gas causes
discom fort to the animal. The lining of inside walls
may get ex tended due to pressure. This can lead to
se ve re breathing problems and e ve n heart failure.
Unde r normal circumstances the gases are expelled
by belching. In the case of bloat, the gases are
some times stuck unde r laye rs of foam. This causes
difficulty whene ve r the animal wants to e liminate
air.Bloat is not caused by any m icroorganism. It
occurs as a re sult of feeding on any forage that is low
in fibe r and high in prote in.
Common Symptoms: Swe lling of the left side of
the animal , the affe cted cattle show the ir discomfort
by stamping of fee t, alte rnative ly the y can also kick
the ir be lly, cattle usually also expe rience difficult
breathing, frequent urination and de fe cation & in
advance d cases, cattle have been known to collapse
almost comple tely.In bloat, the stomach of the cattle
swe lls up. This creates a large bulge in the stomach.
Pressure builds up behind the rib-cage. The cattle
soon stop eating and continue to show the ir
discom fort. As the gas builds up more pressure, the
cattle some times produce a lot of saliva. The
difficulty in breathing will lead to a bluish tinge to the
sk in inside the mouth. Convulsions may occur quickly
and heart-failure is a possibility. In some cases, bloat
affe cted cattle have died within 30 m inutes afte r
consum ing clove r-rich forage .
Treatments: During bloat, dry hay should be offe red
to all the cattle . Mak ing affe cted cattle walk also
causes movements in the stomach, which m ight
reduce discomfort. Anti-foaming agents or anti-bloat
gives ex cellent results. All of treatment should be
given unde r the guidance of a ve te rinarian.
Vaccines & Prevention: Bloat is not caused by any
microbe , the re is no vaccine for preve ntion. The best
way to avoid bloat is to reduce the factors that can
cause it. Anti-foaming age nts can be sprayed onto
suspe cted pasture before your cattle graze on it.
Anti-bloat capsules which stay in the stomach for up
to 100 days are now available . This can give long-
te rm prote ction to your cattle from bloat.
11.Calf Scours: Calf scours is caused by bacte rial,
viral and some times e ven by parasitic infe ctions.
Ne wborn dairy animals are espe cially susceptible to
calf scours be cause the ir immunity systems are not
fully deve lope d. Se ve re fluid loss due to calf scours
results in dehy dration and often leads to death.
Unfortunate ly, eve n animals that survive calf scours
often remain weak and pe rform poorly throughout
the ir lives.Calf scours is also called calf diarrhea, or
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
neo-natal diarrhea. Many conside r calf scours as not
a spe cific disease with a spe cific cause , but actually
as a clinical sign o f a complex disease . Whate ve r the
truth may be , Calf scours is the primary cause of
death in calves from 2 to 30 days of age .According to
a leading research organization, the causative
organisms of calf scours may be Coronavirus,
Rotavirus, K99 E. coli bacte ria or C lostridium
pe rfringens Type C .
Common Symptoms: Discharge of more fluid than
normal from the bowe l, a discharge that is white,
ye llow, gre y or blood -stained, or is foul-sme lling,
calves that do not nurse, calves that drool
ex cessive ly & calves that look depressed and do not
gain we ight. Ex pe rts say that as a calf is
approximate ly 70 pe rcent wate r at birth, loss of body
fluids through calf scours can produce fast
dehydration. Dehydration and the loss of ce rtain
e le ctrolytes produce a change in body of the calf.
Calves die more due to dehydration than to the
actual infe ction. Calf scours is one of the most
im portant diseases of the bee f cattle industry. Death
losses of 50% or more can happen in se ve re
episode s.Due to the myste ry be hind the real cause of
calf scours, it is not easy to pinpoint the locations or
climate that favors the causative organisms. The
disease usually draws attention only afte r a fe w
calves have died.
Treatments: Treatment for scours is through
hydration, and re ple nishing the e le ctrolyte loss.
Antibiotic treatment should also be given
simultaneously with the treatment for dehydration.
Dehydration can easily be ove rcome with simple
fluids given by mouth. Intrave nous fluid treatment
be comes ne cessary only whe n all the othe r types of
treatment bear no re sult. The chances of re cove ry
from calf scours are ex treme ly low if the calf is ve ry
young.Vaccines & Pre vention According to one
source , research has indicated that many calf scour
case s are re lated to lack of colostrum intake by the
ne wborn calf. The more colostrum a calf takes, the
greate r are its chances to be prote cted from calf
scours.
12. Mad Cow Disease (BSE): Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy is also known as BSE. The disease is
most commonly re fe rred to as Mad C ow Disease . BSE
is a progressive degene rative disease that affe cts the
ce ntral ne rvous system of cattle. BSE has an
incubation pe riod of four to five years. The disease
can go unde te cted for years as the re may be no
outward signs. BSE is fatal for cattle and death
results within weeks to months of its onse t. BSE first
came to the atte ntion in Novembe r 1986 with its
appearance in cattle of United Kingdom
(UK).Scientists have not found the exact cause of
BSE but it is be lie ved to be caused by abnormal
proteins called prions. O the r expe rts say that BSE
can be caused by a virus -like organism . Ne w forms of
BSE have bee n affe cting cattle around the world.
Common Symptoms: Ne rvousness or aggression,
change in attitude and behavior, abnormal posture,
coordination problems, difficulty in walking or ge tting
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up off the ground, reduce d milk production, acute
muscular twitching, unexplaine d loss of body we ight
in spite of a good appe tite & se ve re moaning and
ultimate ly death BSE takes from two to eight years
from the time of infe ction, to appear as a full-blown
case . BSE-affe cted animals resemble those of rabies.
But rabies progresses rapidly ove r a fe w days while
the symptoms of BSE de velop ove r a pe riod of two to
six months. Once the clinical symptoms are in place,
the animal de te riorates until it e ithe r dies or is
destroye d to pre vent more instances of BSE. The
disease is found almost ex clusive ly in cattle ove r 2
years old. The incubation pe riod for this disease
ranges from 2-8 years and is always fatal. The
disease is belie ved to have bee n transm itted through
the fee ding of animal by-product feeds, such as meat
and bone meal, made from cattle infe cte d with BSE.
Treatments: The re is no treatment for cattle
affe cted with BSE. The disease is fatal.
Vaccines & Prevention: The re are no te sts for the
disease in live animals. Preve ntion can only be done
by culling affe cted animals. Their remains should be
prope rly disposed of. Cattle should be continuously
monitored for BSE symptoms. The re are no available
vaccines for BSE.
13. Anaplasmosis: Anaplasmosis is an infe ctious
disease of cattle that affe cts the red blood ce lls that
transport ox yge n in the blood. Affe cted re d blood
ce lls are not able to take part in circulation and die.
Once the y have died, the y are removed by the body
and from circulation.Anaplasma marginale and
Anaplasma centrale. The y are commonly found inside
ticks, biting inse cts and houseflies. Any instrument
with infe cte d blood on it can also transm it the
disease . Howe ve r Anaplasmosis does not affe ct
humans.
Common Symptoms: Se ve re Anemia (Gums and
e yes are pale ), breathlessne ss (Short breaths),Loss
of appe tite (Re je cting fodde r), less milk production,
abortion in expe cting cattle (O ccasional),de pression
(Ge ne ral mood is low),constipation,jaundice
(Ye llowing of the eye s) & strange movements (Due to
uneasiness)Affe cted cattle be gin to die or start a
re cove ry within 4 days of when the first signs
appear. Younge r cattle have a highe r chance of
survival than aged cattle .As mentioned earlie r,
Anaplasmosis causes ve ry little ox ygen to be sent
into the blood which creates problems when cattle
be come stirred up. Use caution while moving
affe cted cattle from one place to anothe r.It has been
found that animals that re cove r from Anaplasmosis
are carrie rs and can again spread the disease .In the
initial pe riods of the disease with the introduction of
Anaplasma, the re are no signs of the disease ex cept
for m ild fe ve r. As the days pass by and tempe rature
rises, the risks be come real. In the nex t 4 to 5 days,
if the cattle do not re cove r – the y will like ly die .The
ye llowing of eye s and sk in are the first te ll-tale signs
that an animal may not make it. Gene rally it has
been seen that animals who re cove r from a se ve re
bout of Anaplasmosis are not able to produce at the ir
maximum . The risks can be fa irly high for infe ction, if
any of the survivors be comes a carrie r. Carrie r tests
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
need to be done on such an animal, although it may
have re cove red fully.
Treatments: Treatment is only e ffe ctive if the drugs
are given in an early stage. Te tracycline and Imido
Propionate are the two most popular drugs k nown to
cure Anaplasmosis.
Vaccines & Prevention: Today the re is only one
comme rcially available vaccine against Anaplasmosis
in the Unite d States. The vaccines cannot pre vent
the disease but reduces chances of cattle deaths.
The disease can also be preve nted with effe ctive
inse ct control with sprays e tc.
14.Coccidiosis: Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease
that affe cts seve ral diffe re nt animal spe cies. The
causative agent is a protozoan that has the ability to
multiply rapidly. Coccidiosis is seen most commonly
in calves that are six to twe lve months of age . Calves
be come infe cte d when placed on pastures
contaminate d by olde r cattle or by othe r infe cted
calves.Coccidiosis in cattle is one of the five most
e conomically de vastating diseases of the cattle
industry, and is proje cted to cost the industry $100
million annually. Coccidiosis is a virus cause d by
bovine coccidian. The organism has stages both
within the host animal as we ll as outside it. In the
de ve lopmental stages in the animal, the virus gives
rise to a m icroscopic egg called an oocyst. This is
passed onto the manure . Eime ria zue rnii and Eime ria
bovis are associated with the disease
Common Symptoms: Diarrhea, Rough coat, loss of
appe tite and weight, weakness may cause the calf to
de fe cate without rising, manure may contain blood
and mucus, pneumonia & death may occur during
the acute pe riod. C occidiosis occurs in all breeds of
cattle. Calves acquire infe ction as soon as the y begin
grazing or eating food othe r than the ir mothe r's milk.
Although the disease is see n more normally in calves
six to nine months of age , it may occur in yearlings
and adults. Cattle expe riencing se ve re bouts of
Coccidiosis may ne ve r pe rform as we ll as non-
infe cted pen-mates. Infe ction also heavily affe cts the
calf’s immune system and makes it more vulne rable
to othe r diseases.Coccidiosis is frequently called as
an opportunistic infe ction which de velops when the
cattle is affe cted by othe r conditions. The ingestion of
oocyst may not produce the disease but some
animals constantly carry them without be ing
affe cted.
Treatments: Treatment of infe cted animals is
ne ce ssary. Individual treatment should be use d when
possible ; but he rd applications are more practical.
Sulfa antibiotics are use ful for se condary bacte rial
infe ctions. The rapeutic doses of amprolium are also
quite e ffe ctive in treating the disease . Prope r he rd
management can reduce exposure to disease by
reducing stress.
Vaccines & Prevention: Good management
practice s are vital when establishing parasite control
programs. The primary conce rn in Coccidiosis
outbreaks is the possibility of spreading the disease
to othe r susceptible animals in the he rd. Drink ing
wate r and feed should be prote cted from
contamination with manure. In fe cted animals should
82
be isolated to avoid exposure to othe r cattle . Heavily
parasitized animals should be se cluded from the rest
of the he rd and then treate d.
15. Wooden Tongue: Wooden tongue is a we ll-
de fined disease that affe cts the soft tissue s of the
mouth region in adult cattle . The disease is fairly
acute . It causes swe lling in the affe cted area as we ll
as unde r the jaw which makes food intake difficult,
so animals weaken quickly.Wooden Tongue disease is
the trivial name of Actinobacillosis. The disease is
also known by names like Pig Wooden Tongue or
Chicken Wooden Tongue – indicating othe r spe cies
that can also be affe cted. Wooden tongue is an
infe ction caused by the bacte rium Actinobacillus
lignie resii. This microbe lives only in the presence of
ox ygen which is why it occupies only the uppe r part
of the mouth. Many othe r Actinobacillus spp like
actinoides, suis, ple uropneumoniae and equuli are
also pathoge ns which affe ct the soft tissue.
Symptoms: The most common symptom is that the
tongue be comes s tiff, puffy and sore . The animals
drool ex cessive ly and che w gently. Small nodules can
be seen on the surface of the tongue . Animals cannot
eat or drink prope rly.The condition of affe cted cattle
de te riorates quickly. The causative bacte ria live in
the mouth and so can easily invade tissue through
break s in the lining of the mouth. Rough fee ds like
sticks or straw or barle y awns can also cause wounds
that are big enough for infe ction in the tongue . In
sheep, the lips, nose , jaw and ne ck are usually
affe cted. Animals occasionally die from starvation
and thirst in the acute stages of the disease. If the
infe ction is not treated prope rly, soft tissue is
deposite d and the tongue be comes small. This makes
eating much more difficult. The causative organism
ente rs the tissues of the mouth. It is important to
mention that A. lignie resii is conside red to be a
normal inhabitant of the stomach of the sheep and
cattle. The disease condition is see n as an outbreak
in se ve ral animals. Single cases of wooden tongue
are relative ly rare . The risk of the disease be comes
progressive , if it is untreate d.
Treatments: The most common treatment of
wooden tongue consists of iodine the rapy or use of
te tracycline . In advance d cases, vete rinarians can
drain the tongue and apply an iodine solution for
se ve ral days. The treated animals should be
obse rved regularly so that re lapse s can be
pre ve nted.
Vaccines & Prevention: No vaccines are curre ntly
available in the market. The control of wooden
tongue disease can only be achie ved by early
re cognition and on time treatment of cattle. The
animals that have been affe cted should be separated
and prefe rably be culled.
16. Leptospirosis: Leptospirosis occurs in animals
and man in almost all parts of the world. Se rological
e vidence indicates the pre valence of le ptospires
among domesticate d animals in diffe rent parts of the
country. The damage done to animal industry results
from the death of animals in the acute stage of
illness, stillbirth, abortion, stunning, de crease in
we ight (loss of meat), reduced m ilk production and
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
unthriftness.The causative organisms of le ptospirosis
be long to the genus Leptospira.
Commom Symptoms: In cattle it is an acute , often
fatal, disease characte rized by haemorrhage,
haemoglobinurai and icte rus. Non-fatal infe ctions are
often characte rized by feve r, anaem ia, abortions,
ste rility, de crease d lactation and mastitis. The
principal me thods used for the diagnosis of
leptospirosis are dire ct m icroscopical examination of
tissue pre parations and body fluids, bacte riological
culture, animal inoculation and se rological tests.
Treatment: In cattle treatment with antibiotics may
result in conside rable dim inution of eve n temporary
cessation of urinary ex cre tion of le ptospires.
Metabolic Diseases: Dairy cattle require m ine rals
in the ir die t for optimal productivity. These are
de rived from the feed and fodder. The input of
mine rals through fee d and wate r must balance the ir
output through fae ces, urine and milk to maintain
the animal's health. If the output ex ceeds input, the
animals meet out their normal requirements by
mobilization from its body rese rves for a shorte r
pe riod. But continuous imbalances de ve lop into
productivity re lated problems. Nutritional imbalance s,
de ficie ncies, or e rratic management of feeding
programs for dairy cows can create large numbe rs
and various types of health problems gene rally
categorized as me tabolic diseases. High producing
dairy cows are most susceptible to metabolic
disease s during the pe riparturient pe riod. In cattle,
me tabolic disease s which produces an acute,
temporary, but potentially fatal deficiency include s
1. MILK FEVER: Milk fe ve r is a condition of older,
third to six th lactation, high-producing dairy cows. It
is associated with parturition, usually within 72 hours
of giving birth. Be cause of the high volume of m ilk
produce d during this time , and subseque nt demand
for calcium, these cows ofte n de ve lop hypocalcaem ia,
or abnormally low le ve ls of calcium in the blood.
Since calcium is require d for the re lease of
ace tylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, affe cted
animals will begin to expe rience muscle weakness.
As this hypocalcaemia worse ns, the cow will be come
too we ak to stand and will e ventually be come
comatose ove r a matte r of hours. Calcium is the
most common mine ral in the body and the majo r
ex tra-cellular divale nt cation. Is a structural
component of bones and tee th. Ove r 98% of Ca
pre sent in the body is found in bone . Is also
im portant in muscle contraction (this is the main
reason cows suffe ring from m ilk fe ve r go down). Also
plays a role in blood clotting and ne rve impulse
transmission.Calcium is critically important to normal
ne rve and muscle function. Ace tylcholine, a
ne urotransmitte r substance acting at the
ne uromuscular junction, require s calcium to prope rly
stimulate muscle movement. At or near the time of
parturition, the onse t of lactation results in the
sudden loss of calcium through m ilk. The total
circulating calcium in the blood of the cow is about
1.5 to 2.0 gm.
Common Symptoms: The re are three progressive
stage s of parturient pare sis. During stage one , cows
83
are able to stand but show signs of hype rsensitivity
and ex citability. Cows may appear restless and
be llowing. If calcium the rapy is not instituted, cows
will progress to stage two. In stage two, cows are
unable to stand but can maintain ste rnal
re cumbency.Depression, anorex ia, dry muzzle,
subnormal body tempe rature , and cold ex tremities
are seen. Cows ofte n tuck the ir heads into the ir
flanks or, if the head is exte nded, an S-shape d curve
to the ne ck may be note d. In stage th ree , cows lose
consciousness progressive ly to the point of coma.
The y are unable to maintain ste rnal re cumbency,
unresponsive to stimuli, and can suffe r se ve re bloat.
Cardiac output worsens, heart rate can approach 120
beats/min, and pulse may be unde te cta ble . Cows in
stage three may survive only a fe w hours. An olde r
dairy cow near calving or that has re ce ntly calved
that shows clinical signs and symptoms is highly
diagnostic. Se rum calcium le ve ls will re veal
hypocalcaemia, or low blood calcium. Howe ve r,
be cause of the rapid nature of this illne ss and the
often-slow re turn of laboratory results, treatment is
usually initiated base d on clinical signs only.
Treatments: Treatment is dire cted toward re storing
the se rum calcium le ve l to normal as soon as
possible to avoid m uscular and ne rvous damage and
re cumbency. This would minim ize the associated
problems of hypocalcaemia.Re commended treatment
is IV inje ction of a calcium gluconate salt, although
SC and IP routes are also used. A gene ral rule for
dosing is 1 g calcium/45 kg body wt.The response to
prope rly administe red calcium the rapy is quite
characte ristic. The cow's symptoms will appear to
re ve rse themse lves as the y had pre viously
progresse d. The late rally re cumbent cow will sit up to
ste rnal position, and the n it will ofte n begin to have
tremors ove r its body. As all bodily functions affe cted
by hypocalcaem ia begin to re ve rse, the affe cted
animal may urinate , be lch, and then begin the
wobbly e ffort to rise . Cows gene rally rise within one
hour. Repeated trea tment may be ne cessary in 12
hours if the cow is still unable to rise . Replacement of
calcium by parente ral adm inistration is the most
im portant initial step, which should not be delayed in
se ve re ly hypocalcaem ic animals. Most solutions are
available in single -dose , 500 ml bottle s that contain
8-11 g calcium The thumb rule is when the animal is
showing signs of pe riphe ral vascular failure,
hypothe rmia and cold ex tremities; calcium
borogluconate should be adm iniste re d intravenously.
2 .Hypomagnesaemia: Magnesium is a wide ly
distributed me tal and is prom inent body constitue nt.
Almost half of the magne sium in the body is present
in the bones. The normal concentration range in
plasma is 1.8-3.5 mg dl-1.The magnesium ion is
esse ntial for normal bone me tabolism, normal ne rve
function and muscle irritability. Magnesium also plays
an essential part in the coenzyme system which links
normal carbohydrate me tabolism with phosphate
me tabolism and the provision of e ne rgy for muscle
contraction. Magnesium ions are by no means
efficiently absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract
and only 7 to 25% is absorbed unde r usual die tary
conditions. But resorption me chanisms are ve ry
efficient. Ex cre tion of magne sium absorbed in ex cess
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
of needs is re nal. The k idne ys exe rt an appre cia ble
degree of control ove r magnesium ex cretion. A
de ficie ncy of magne sium occurs commonly in cattle.
All in all lactating cows on an unsupplemented die ts
is in a pre carious position with regard to magne sium
balance be cause of the narrow margin be tween daily
intakes and ove rall nee ds exace rbated by variable
bioavailability.
Common Symptoms: Low magne sium blood le ve ls
can be asymptomatic or be accompanied by te tany
and convulsions – ‘milk te tany’ in calves, ‘grass
te tany’, ‘stomach stagge rs’ or ‘He reford disease ’ in
adult cattle . Se rum magnesium le ve ls fall be low 1.5
mg. Perce nt. The signs of magnesium deficiency are
those of neuromuscular hype rirritability, culm inating
in titanic seizures and death. The typical
hypomagnesaemic m ilk fe ve r case shows what is
known in some areas as ‘the blinks’ – a flutte ring of
the e ye lids. The animal is ex tremely hype rsensitive,
shows muscular tremors and may move in circle s,
occasionally appearing to ‘attack ’ atte ndants. The
pupil is often constricted and the anal sphincte r
flaccid. Convulsions may occur and the animal falls to
the ground. Hypomagne saemia can be complicating
factor in milk fe ve r but is less commonly associated
with calving than are hypocalcaemia and
hypophosphataemia. Two types of clinical
hypomagnesaemia may be distinguishe d. The re is an
acute , often fatal type , which usually follows abrupt
changes of die t, e spe cially from indoor feeding to
outdoor grazing on fresh le ys (hence the te rm ‘grass
stagge rs’). The subacute type is usually re current
and indicates borde rline deficiency of magnesium . In
both cases the condition is one of inade quate intake
and/or absorption of magne sium. Treatment and
prophylaxis In most cases of grass te tany mode rate
hypocalcaemia accompanies the hypomagnesaem ia.
Grass te tany may also a ccompany ketosis.
Hypomagnesaem ia cases can be treated by combine
calcium , phosphorus and magnesium inje ctions, by
magnesium-dex trose inje ctions, by calcium
borogluconatemagnesium inje ctions or by plain 25%
magnesium sulphate inje ctions.
3 Ketosis: Ke tosis or ace tonem ia is a common
me tabolic disease of lactating cows occurring during
the first 10 to 60 days afte r calving in high -producing
cows. The three -week pe riod afte r calving seems to
be the most critical time. The disease re sults from a
lowe red blood sugar in the circulating blood, which
causes the formation and re lease of ketone bodies.
Ketone bodies (spe cifically ace tone ) are volatilized
and account for the "swee tish" sme ll de te ctable on
the breath, and in the m ilk or urine of affe cted cows.
The incidence of ke tosis is highe r in olde r cows and
high-producing cows. As cows produce m ilk , the y
be come more susceptible .
Common Symptoms: Symptoms of ke tosis in dairy
cattle include dullness, depre ssion, a staring
expre ssion, rapid loss of we ight, a drop in m ilk
production, constipation, mucus cove red fe ce s,
incoordination and partial paralysis. A fe w cows may
be come highly ex citable. Breathing is shallow with an
ace tone sme ll in the breath. Cows will usually
consume hay, straw or othe r roughage but gene rally
84
re fuse grain or concentrates. About two -thirds of the
case s are primary or uncomplicated ke tosis. The
othe r third are se condary cases, complicated by such
things as re taine d place nta, me tritis, displaced
abomasum, nephritis, hardware or the othe r
problems causing cows to go off-feed. An e levated
tempe rature may indicate that othe r factors are
involve d. Since ke tosis is only a practical problem in
rum inants, changes in the rumen have been
investigated. Fatty acids (acetic, propionic and
butyric) arising from m icrobial rumen fe rmentation
furnish from 40 to 70 pe rcent of a ruminant animal’s
ene rgy requirements. O f these acids, propionic is by
far most vital to the pre vention of ke tosis, and high-
ene rgy rations favor propionate production. An
increase in butyric acid would be undesirable since
this acid is a potential source of ke tone bodie s. O the r
suggestions for the preve ntion of ketosis include the
addition of sodium propionate and propylene glycol
to the dairy ration. Gene rally, the response to e ithe r
system is slow and treatment must be ex tended ove r
a pe riod of time. Sodium propionate creates a
palatability problem whe reas propylene glycol is
comple te ly palatable. Twice daily feeding of 120m l of
propyle ne glycol, beginning 14 days prior to the
anticipated calving date and continued for 7 weeks
postpartum , reduced the incide nce of ke tosis by 18
pe rcent. The ketone test is a simple diagnostic tool
for de te rm ining the pre sence of ke tone bodie s and is
used by ve te rinarians and is also available to
dairymen. The test is used for de te rm ining the
pre sence of acetone in milk and urine. Colostrum
milk does not give accurate results. The urine test
shows positive results be fore the m ilk test does.
Even so, do not be conce rne d until a positive test is
obtaine d from milk. The blood le vel of ketone bodies
is the be st test for de te rm ining the degree of ke tosis.
Treatments: Most acce pte d ketosis treatments
attempt to increase blood sugar le ve ls. Usually, about
500 ml of a 50 pe rce nt glucose solution is use d.
Whe n this is the sole treatment, re lapses are
freque nt. As a result, most ve te rinarians re commend
intravenous inje ction of glucose with the
incorporation of insulin as a part of the the rapy. Also,
some ve te rinarians supplement corticoste roids for a
fe w days following treatment to boost blood glucose
le vels.
External Parasites: Horn flies, face flies, stable
flies, ticks, lice and m ites are the major ex te rnal
parasites in cattle .Horn Flie s are about half the size
of house flies and are dark gray. The y are blood-
sucking flies that stay on the shoulde rs and back s of
cattle almost continuously. The re are many options
to assist in control.Back rubbe rs allow cattle to treat
themse lves while loafing and scratching. Dust bags
are most e ffe ctive when use d whe re cattle have to
pass unde r them daily to ge t to wate r or m ine ral.
Fee d additives targe t horn fly maggots breeding in
fresh animal manure . High pressure sprays can be
used to treat cattle thoroughly and inex pensively on
a pe r head basis. An inse cticide bolus is a large pill-
like formulation that is given to the animal with a
standard balling gun. Inse cticide-impre gnated cattle
ear tags re lease small amounts of an inse cticide
which are distributed ove r the animal during
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 COMMON CATTLE DISEASES: SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
grooming or rubbing. Pour on inse cticides. Face Flies
close ly re semble house flies. The y cluste r on the
faces of cattle and feed on se cre tions from the mucus
membranes of the e yes, nose , and lips. Face flies do
not suck blood. The y do irritate the surface of the
e yeball and carry and spread bacte ria and viruses
tha t contribute to pinkeye problems. The y spend only
a small portion of the ir life on cattle which makes
them more difficult to control than horn flies.Stable
flies are some times called biting house flies.The look
ve ry much like house flies. The y feed primarily on
legs and lowe r abdomen of cattle . The blood loss and
pain associated with the bite of stable flies results in
substantial e conom ic loss. Ticks cause blood loss,
discom fort, and spread disease s like anaplasmosis
described above . Tick control is ex treme ly difficult in
areas with high tick populations. Control on cattle
through pe rsistent use of approved pesticides is
achie ved by spraying, dipping, ear tags, pour-ons,
dust, and back rubs.Lice cause skin irritation and
itching. Both biting and sucking lice infest cattle.
Infested cattle can expe rience reduce d appe tite and
appear unhealthy. Sprays and pour-ons are common
me thods to treat cattle lice .Mite infestation is called
mange in cattle . A se rious form of mange is called
scabie s. Scabies is cause d by sa rcoptic and psoroptic
mite s and must be reported to the disease control
authoritie s. Cattle infested with m ites suffe r hair loss
and a thicke ning of the sk in. Se ve re infestations can
we aken cattle and make them vulne rable to diseases.
Mite control work s best with Inje ctable products or
pour-on products with system ic activity
Conclusion: Livestock has played a ve ry important
role in the Indian e conom y eve r since civilisation.
W ith the increasing human population in India,
demand for animal prote in is increas ing, due to social
and e conom ic reasons. Milk and m ilk products are
im portant constituents of human die t. Some of the
population also take animal meat, espe cially of
buffaloe s, due to low cost and taste. Thus control
and e radication of diseases of cattle and buffaloes
are ve ry important conside rations. Now with the
introduction of some of the fore ign breeds of cattle
and their crosse s, which are highly susceptible to
disease s, tile demand for e fficient health cove r has
increased conside rably in orde r to maintain them in
good health and production. For tins, control and
e radication progrmnme for these cattle diseases has
be come ve ry important conside ring the e conomie s of
cattle and buffalo industry. Pre vention, control and
e radication are the three basic me thods used in
dealing with any disease in the cattle population.
The se three me thods are applied depending upon the
e conomic importance of disease and investment cost
available for the control programme. For pre ve ntion,
control and e radication of all contagious diseases
(which are mainly caused by virus or bacte ria), a
pote nt vaccine is ve ry essential. For most of these
contagious diseases, vaccines are available (see
table . 1). In susceptible areas or he rds, vaccination
progrmnme should be carrie d out we ll in advance . It
is also impe rative that cattle and buffalo owne r
should know all the signs of good health and
unde rstand the condition of his animals espe cially
whe n the y manife st symptoms of diseased condition,
85
so that he can take effe ctive steps in time to ge t his
animal treated or to control the spread of infe ction.
Eve ry time it may not be possible for the owne r to
attend his sick animal and as such, he should take
the he lp of a qualified ve te rinary doctor in prope r
time . Howe ve r, the re are ce rtain diseases for which
the re is no any vaccine or scientific treatment course.
In such a case, improvement in hygienic conditions,
management practices and feeding standards is ve ry
im portant.
Tra ns ge ni c Live st ock:
Trans genic animals are animals that have been genetically
modified, through the introduc tion of foreign DNA or RNA ,
s o that they overproduce, under produce, lack the
produc tion of, or have modified expression of partic ular
protein. Trans genic animal may be defined as one whos e
genome has been permanently altered by the addition,
deletion or modific ation of s pec ific genes . T he term
trans genic was first us ed by J .W. G ordon and F.H . Ruddle
(1981 ). Trans genic animals were first produced nearly two
dec ades ago. M ost transgenic animals s tudies involve
mice, other transgenic s pecies , s uc h as rabbits , rats ,
hams ters , s heep, goat, s wine, O ften mice are not s uitable
trans genic models , for example in some human genetic
dis orders or for the production of large quantities of
biopharmaceuticals , where larger more c los ely related
s pec ies would be more effec tive.
D uring the 1970s , the first c himeric mic e were produced
(Brins ter, 1974 ). The c ells of two different embryos of
different strain were c ombined together at an early s tage
of development (eight c ells ) to from a s ingle embryo that
s ubsequently developed into to c himeric adult, exhibiting
c haracteris tic of each strain. T his tec hnology allows the
trans fer of genes of interes t from on s pecies to another,
thus permitting genetic improvements as well as better
unders tanding of how genes func tion with an individual.
Trans gens c an also be expressed in a s pec ific tiss ue at a
given time or at a partic ular stage of development.
M oreover, transgenic offers the potential for great genetic
advanc es in lives toc k produc tion through improvements in
animal health and produc tion traits s uc h as growth, milk,
meat & wool produc tion.
Trans genic animal s ys tem c ombines the virtues of c ells
c ulture and c ongenic breeding strategies while avoiding
the negative as pec ts of eac h s ystem. Us ing trans genic
tec hniques , a c harac terized genetic sequenc e may be
evaluated with in the s pec ific genomic background of
whole animal. G enes can be trans ferred ac ross s pec ies
boundaries and can be modified to func tion very differ-
ently than they do in their native have application in both
food produc tion & biomedic al arena. As efficiencies of this
tec hnology improve, other s pec ies of trans genic will
bec ome more c ommonplac e and form (gene produc ts ,
tiss ue s pecificity & timing of express ion c an be altered).
T he ability to redirec t expression of genes to another
organ has s pawned the trans genic bioreac tor indus try. For
the most part, trans genic bioreac tors are farm animals
des igned to produce new proteins in their milk or other
body fluids . It is envis ioned that this approach will
enhance our lives through their c ontributions to medic ine
& agric ulture.
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)