Bovine viral diarrhea
Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) is a
disease of cattle caused by the Bovine
Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV).
The virus
is widespread, and most herds are at
risk for infection.
In the susceptible
herd, BVD can be a serious, costly
disease.
The signs
of BVD vary, depending on the immune status of the exposed animals, and the
strain of the infecting virus.
The incubation period
is about three to five days. If
susceptible (non-vaccinated) animals are infected with a virulent strain of the virus, the
disease will likely appear as an
acute, severe sickness, with bloody diarrhea, high fever,
off- feed, mouth ulcers, and often pneumonia.
Some
infected animals may die, while
others will recover, usually within one or two weeks. Occasionally an animal will die very
quickly before other signs are apparent. Since BVD is a viral disease,
antibiotics are
ineffective.
Coccidiosis in chickens
Coccidiosis
is
a protozoal disease causing
diarrhea,
weight loss
and
decreased production
in poultry
. It
can be fatal. Prevention is key and is achieved with
use of anticoccidials or vaccination. Diagnosis is by
fecal flotation to detect oocysts, often in
combination with characteristic necropsy findings.
The most popular treatment for coccidiosis is
Amprolium*
, which blocks the parasite's
ability to
uptake
and
multiply.
Treatment
is
usually
administered by adding Amprolium to the chickens'
water supply, however in some cases, where sick
chickens aren't
eating or drinking enough, the
medication is given orally.
*Amprolium is
a quaternized derivative of pyrimidine that interferes with thiamine metabolism
. It is a thiamine
antagonist, blocking the thiamine receptors, thus preventing carbohydrate synthesis.
