Salmonellosis in ram hoggets following prophylactic zinc dosing

Abstract

Extract

Madam:– There has been considerable use in recent times of zinc oxide as an oral drench to prevent the occurrence of facial eczema in New Zealand. The recommendations for dosage and administration of zinc salts have been outlined in AgLink FPP 496.(5 Towers, N.R. and Smith, B.L. 1983. AgLink FPP 496. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Wellington,  [Google Scholar]) For sheep the recommended dose of zinc oxide is 300 mg/kg daily but for prophylaxis it is suggested that a week's accumulated dose (i.e. 210 mg/kg) may be given as a single dose and that this is almost as effective as daily dosing and certainly more practical.     

Genital infection of ram hoggets associated with a gram-negative pleomorphic organism

Abstract

Extract

An acute epididymitis affecting mainly young rams and associated with a gram-negative pleomorphic organism was first reported in New Zealand in 1955 (1) Dodd, D. C. and Hartley, W. J. 1955. A specific suppurative epididymitis of rams. N.Z. vet. J., 3: 105–110. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]. Subsequently a similar syndrome attributed to Actinobacillus seminis has been reported in Border Leicester and other rams in Australia (2) Baynes, I. D. and Simmons, G. C. 1960. Ovine epididymitis caused by Actinobacillus seminis. N.Sp. Aust. vet. J., 36: 454–459.  [Google Scholar] (3) Simmons, G. C., Baynes, I. D. and Ludford, C. G. 1966. Epidemiology of Actinobacillus seminis in a flock of Border Leicester sheep. Aust. vet. J., 42: 183–187.  [Google Scholar] (4) Baynes, I. D. and Simmons, G. C. 1968. Clinical and pathological studies of Border Leicester rams naturally infected with Actinobacillus seminis. Aust. vet. J., 44: 339–343.  [Google Scholar]. A like condition also described in Australia in a single crossbred ram was causally attributed to Histophilus ovis (5) Claxton, P. D. and Everett, R. E. 1966. Recovery of an organism resembling Histophilus ovis from a ram. Aust. vet. J., 42: 457–458.  [Google Scholar]. Actinobacillus seminis was isolated from an epididymal infection in a Rambouillet ram in America (6) Livingston, C. W. and Hardy, W. T. 1964. Isolation of Actinobacillus seminis from ovine epididymitis. Am. J. vet. Res., 25: 660–663.  [Google Scholar] and from a Dorper ram in South Africa(7) Worthingron, R. W. and Bosman, P. P. 1968. Isolation of Actinobacillus seminis in South Africa. J I. S. Aft. vet. med. Ass., 39: 81–85.  [Google Scholar].     

Salmonellosis in sheep and zinc oxidedosing

Abstract

Extract

Madam:– For several years we have been concerned with developing safe and effective methods of administering zinc to farm animals for the control of facial eczema. In none of our trial work involving repeated daily, weekly and fortnightly dosing of zinc oxide to sheep not vaccinated against salmonellosis has salmonellosis been encountered. Recently two reports(1 Allworth, M.B., West, D.M. and Bruere, A.N. 1985. Salmonellosis in ram hoggets following prophylactic zinc dosing. N.Z. vet. J., 33: 171–171. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]),(3 Neilsen, F.J.A., Jagusch, K.T., Gray, M.G. and Maclean, K.S. 1985. Acute enteritis and deaths in .sheep from Salmonella hindmarsh associated with oral dosing with zinc oxide. N.Z. vet. J., 33: 148–149.  [Google Scholar]) have suggested that high doses of zinc oxide have played a part in the aetiology of two outbreaks of salmonellosis in sheep and we thank the authors of both papers for pointing out their field observations. In the first outbreak(3 Neilsen, F.J.A., Jagusch, K.T., Gray, M.G. and Maclean, K.S. 1985. Acute enteritis and deaths in .sheep from Salmonella hindmarsh associated with oral dosing with zinc oxide. N.Z. vet. J., 33: 148–149.  [Google Scholar]) the sheep were subjected to exceptional stress (thrce days of mustering, yarding, drafting, tagging, weighing, bleeding, dosing and trucking). Even so it appeared that the "zinc dosed" and not the "nonzinc" group were affected by salmonellosis, but in exceptional circumstances.     

Salmonellosis in calves

Despite the efforts of both physicians and veterinarians, the number of cases of salmonellosis per year has held steady or risen. The ability of the organism to live in many different animal species and under inhospitable environmental conditions is likely responsible for Salmonella's prevalence today. Diverse clinical signs occur in salmonellosis; they range from unthriftiness to explosive, necrotizing diarrheas with high mortality. Secondary complications of pneumonia, bone and joint infections, and meningoencephalitis can result from calfhood infections. Treatment of enteric salmonellosis is chiefly aimed at maintaining fluid, acid-base, and electrolyte balance. Bacteremic or septicemic calves also require systemic antibiotics. The control measures for salmonellosis are based on sanitation and management. Individual calf hutches or pens provide adequate isolation if sufficient spacing and good sanitation are maintained. The Salmonella vaccines presently available provide limited protection; however, live vaccines made from auxotrophic strains of Salmonella appear to be more efficacious.     

Salmonellosis in young calves

The isolation of three strains of porcine parvovirus from aborted foetal piglets is recorded and the role of this virus as a cause of reproductive failure in pigs is discussed.