animal diseases

• • They are caused by different pathogens. The main effects on animals are:
  • Death of animal
  • Loss of appetite and weight over a short or extended period
  • Low growth rates in young animals
  • Loss of fertility in females through embryonic death of stillbirths
• • Loss of trading opportunities both nationally and internationally
• • Loss of foods available to society
• • Economic loss for the farmer, with negative effects on profitability and production due to reduced meat, milk and wool yields
• • Human illness and disease
• Footrot is an infectious disease of the hooves of sheep, goats and cattle, caused by the pathogenic bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus. Pastures that are long, dense and wet aid in pathogen survival and transfer. Temperature is important; warm weather favours growth of the bacteria. Reservoirs of bacteria may form in individual animals’ feet for years. It causes painful abscesses between the toes, lameness and weight loss, as grazing is affected. Farmers have reduced yields of animals if they are affected by disease and there is economic loss for farmers.