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The Brussels Post, 1976-07-07, Page 13(By John Miner) Brucellosis, undulant fever, or bang's disease: No matter what word is used, the dreaded disease can spell disaster for a _dairy farmer, Three years ago there wasn't a known case of active infection in Huron County, but now the federal veterinarians have 18 herds under quarantine for brucellosis, according. to sub- district veterinarian Dr. W.J. Thompson. The Brucella abortus organism, which causes abortions in preg- nant cows around the fifth to the seventh month, is a particularly difficult disease to deal with because it is an intercellular bacteria, says Dr. Thompson. This means that the bacteria lives inside the cell and any drug that would destroy the bacteria would also destroy the cell. Therefore when brucellosis is discovered in a dairy herd, the cows that test positive are shipped for slaugh- ter. If the veterinarians decide that they can't stop the disease in a herd, the entire herd is ordered slaughtered. But brucellosis is not confined only to cattle as man can get the disease also. In man brucellosis is commonly known as undulant fever because it causes a fever which undulates, or goes up and down. Treatment of the disease in man is also difficult with some people suffering recurrences of it for the rest of their fives once they've had it. The disease can be spread to man in several different ways. Drinking the milk from an infected cow is one, but not as 44, work and d on race and tale, and Expert Service Service calls 5 days a week All work fully-guaranteed. N.B. WE ARE NOW AN AUTHORIZED FACTORY SERVICE CENTRE FOR ALL AUTOMATIC RADIO OF CANADA PRODUCTS! LARRY'S RADIO & TV REPAIR Hamilton Street Blyth Ontario Phone 523-9840 Fun at the Lions pool Brussels Stockyard Report There were 764 cattle and-1112 pigs on offer at Brussels Stock- uards Friday. A heavy supply of steers traded on an active market with insufficient heifers to establish a price. Choice Steers - 40.00 to 42.00 with sales to 42.25. Good Steers - 38.00 to 40.00. A steer consigned by D'Arcy Rathwell of Brucefield weighing 1040 lbs. sold for 42.25 with his offering of 10 steers averaging 1 165 lbs. selling for 41.00. A steer consigned by Jack Culbert of Dungannon weighing 1130 lbs. sold for 41.50. Twelve steers consigned by Earl Sellers of R.R.2, Bluevale, averaging 1069' lbs. sold for 41,30, Sixteen steers consigned by Glen McMichael of R.R.1, Bluevale, averaging 1154 lbs. sold for 41.25. Two steers consigned by Reyer Barendreght of Blyth averaging 1030 lbs. sold for 41.25. Choice Heifers - 38.00 to 39.00 with sales to 39.75, Good Heifers - 36.00 to 38.00. A heifer consigned by Judy Sellers of R.R.2, Bluevale, Good Cows - 25.00 to 27.00. weighing 890 lbs. sold for 39.75. &ills traded to a high of 34.50. A heifer consigned by Norman 30 to 40 -lb. pigs traded to a Coultes of R.R5, Wingham high of 43.75. weighing 900 lbs. sold for 39.50. 40 to 50-1b. pigs traded to a A heifer consigned by Bill high of 51.75. Pearson of Ethel weighing 930 50 to ,60-1b. pigs lbs. sold for 39.50. 58.75. Choice Cows - 27.00 to 29.00 60 to 70-lb. pigs with sales to 30.50. 60.00. t. to a high of to a high of NOTICE OF CHANGE OF GARBAGE COLLECTION Commencing July 21, 1976 the garbage collections will take (lace every Wednesday A.M. instead of the Saturday A.M. collections Please have the , garbage out by 8 A.M. Wm. H. King Clerk Treasurer NOTICE Due to ill health Val's Beauty Shop will be closed until further notice • WEEKLY.SALE BRUSSELS STOCKYARDS LTD. EVERY FRIDAY At 12 Noon Phone 887-6461 Brussels, Ont. THE BRUSSELS POST f JULY 7 4. 1916 rucellosis on the increase since 1974. likely as picking it up from delivering calves or hav,ing an open cut and being near where cows, are discharging, says Dr, Thompson. Most of Huron's infections have come through sales barns, Dr. Thompson says. "Befbre 1974 the disease was pretty well eradicated. Then -it broke out in the Ottawa Valley and spread westward. We had no cases of active infection prior to 1974; but we have 18 herds under quarantine now," he -said. Dr. Thompson said the number of herds under. quarantine has remained pretty well constant for the 'last year. "Every time we release a herd from quarantine there always seems to be another one come up," he said. When a herd is under quaran- tine, the farmer is not permitted under the Contagious Animal Disease Act to sell any animals except for slaughter. Even when they are sold for slaughter, they have to be sold under a special license only. The farmer is also not permitted to bring any new cattle into the infected herd, but this is not as major a concern as selling cattle, according to Dr. Thompson, because bringing in cattle does, not spread the infec- tion further. A maximum compensatibn fo $200 is paid to a farmer by the federal government for each herd cow he is ordered to sell and $450 for every purebred cow. The farmer also receives the price the animal sell s for on the beef market. Whether the maximum compensation is paid out or not is left to the judgment of the federal veterinarians who determine if the animal is worth it. Cases of brucellosis have been found generally throughout the county with no special concentra- tion in any one area, according to Dr. Thompson. "We'Ve found cases in both the north and south end of the county," he said. Once brucellosis has been discovered in a herd, there is a good chance of cleaning it up without having to wipeout the herd,' says Dr. Thompson. "Most of the infected herds in Huron are not having active abortions, but are only reactors," Dr. Thompson said. "Where there are actual abortions taking plaCe there isn't much chance of cleaning up the herd without depopulating it." The decision to eradicate an entire herd is based on how long the veterinarians have -been trying to stop the disease and if there are any active abortions or not. "Even if it is early in the game, if there are . active abortions we will likely advise the farmer to ship the whole herd," he said. Dr. Thompson says, that the disease can be spread from farm to farm in several different ways. "We've picked up dogs with brucellosis in one instance. It isn't proven that dogs are a serious spreader of the diseak, but we have found them with it. Swine also can spread brucellosis, and they are not considered a serious spreader either," he said. "In one case of low grade infection, we had trouble cleaning it up ,until we tested a pony and found that it liad it. Once we got rid of the pony, the disease was cleaned up. There is no definite proof though that the pony was spreading the disease," he added. Brucellosis can also be spread through the manure of cows. Dr. Thompson said they advised farmers not to spread manure from an infected herd on a pasture field •where other cattle might pick it up, but 'should spread it on an area such as a hay field, where the sunlight can kill the bacteria before „any cattle come in contact with it. He said it was also possible, although unlikely, that the disease could be spread from the runoff , from manure. "The brucellosis bacteria likes a moist atmosphere," he said. Tracking down the source of the disease is one of the greatest difficulties facing the Health of Animals branch, says Dr. Thompson. "Dairy cattle can pass through so many hands, it is difficult to track them down," he said. "Dealers may know they sold so many cattle a certain day, but ,they don't know which specific: one we are asking about. If the government required that accurate records were kept, we would be able to find them." "It is not being able to trace the infection that is beating us," he said. Although many sales barns test for brucellosis at the time of sale, not all of them do. A "card test is carried out at Some sales barns and reactors can be weeded out in a few minutes. However, the test isn't, as accurate as the "tube of agglutination" test, but which has to be sent to a laboratory and the results are not available until some tithe after the sale. Either , test still does not guarantee a farmer is buying brucellosis free cattle, as the disease could be in the incubation stage and not become active until later. The Health of Animals Branch does not advise farmers to vaccinate calves against Brucel- losis. Besides taking seven years to have a fully vaccinated herd, Dr. Thompson says that it causes a lot of problems besides. "It throws off the results,of the blood test and doesn't stop the spread .of infection. Vaccinating does prevent abotions in about 60 to 70 percent of a herd, but a vaccinated herd • is a potential source of infection to others," he said. Remember! It takes but a moment to place a Brussels, Post Want Ad and be money in pocket. To advertise, just Dial Brussels 887-6641.