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Cattle disease continues to spread into Midwest
Photo courtesy Blair Fannin, Texas A&M AgriLife Research
The blood disease of cattle called anaplasmosis continues to spread from southern and western areas of the U.S. into the Midwest.
Dr. Gregg Hanzlicek with the veterinary diagnostic lab at Kansas State University, says the disease causes severe and potentially fatal anemia in cattle.
“For herds that are negative—like so many of our bovine diseases—the best thing, if they’re bringing animals from the outside in, is to have them tested before they bring them in. There are two really good, inexpensive blood tests that can be used,” Hanzlicek says. “So that’s number one—don’t purchase the disease.”
Hanzlicek says once the disease is in a herd, it is spread through blood transfer, typically from ticks, flies or multi-use injection needles.
AUDIO: Dr. Gregg Hanzlicek
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