Heat kills South Dakota cattle, anthrax threatens
Thursday, July 26, 2007, 3:22 PM
by Peter Shinn
Over a thousand head of cattle in northeast South Dakota died from extreme heat stress Monday and Tuesday. And while the threat of cattle losses from extreme heat appears to be moderating in South Dakota, anthrax remains a threat to cattle across the state.
That's according to Dr. Sam Holland, South Dakota state veterinarian, who told Brownfield that after several days of high heat, high humidity and virtually no air movement, the cattle that perished earlier this week simply succumbed after losing the ability to regulate their temperature. And he says while such extreme weather conditions aren’t unknown in South Dakota, they hadn’t occurred in that part of the state for many years, catching the producers involved off guard. But according to Holland, further heat losses in South Dakota aren’t likely.
"We've got people now getting out in the morning before the heat of the day, before these animals get heat stressed to where they start losing their ability to regulate their body temperature," Holland said. They're getting the water to them and getting them sprinkled and sprayed earlier."
Holland pointed out pork and poultry producers also need to be cognizant of the heat. He said if electricity to animal housing facilities goes out for even a short period of time, death losses can be total.
In the meantime, Holland said the hot and humid weather is also favorable for anthrax, and an animal tested positive for the disease Tuesday at a location south of I-90. According to Holland, when anthrax turns up in a cattle herd a whole cascade of consequences follow. That’s why he strongly encourages South Dakota cattle producers to include anthrax in their vaccination regimen.
"I've never talked to a producer who's lost animals from anthrax that said, 'I'm sure glad I didn't vaccinate and waited to handle it once it occurred,'" Holland quipped.
Holland also urged quick testing for anthrax in the case of sudden cattle death loss. He said early diagnosis can help reduce costs related to containment and clean-up efforts.
Thursday, July 26, 2007, 3:22 PM
by Peter Shinn
Over a thousand head of cattle in northeast South Dakota died from extreme heat stress Monday and Tuesday. And while the threat of cattle losses from extreme heat appears to be moderating in South Dakota, anthrax remains a threat to cattle across the state.
That's according to Dr. Sam Holland, South Dakota state veterinarian, who told Brownfield that after several days of high heat, high humidity and virtually no air movement, the cattle that perished earlier this week simply succumbed after losing the ability to regulate their temperature. And he says while such extreme weather conditions aren’t unknown in South Dakota, they hadn’t occurred in that part of the state for many years, catching the producers involved off guard. But according to Holland, further heat losses in South Dakota aren’t likely.
"We've got people now getting out in the morning before the heat of the day, before these animals get heat stressed to where they start losing their ability to regulate their body temperature," Holland said. They're getting the water to them and getting them sprinkled and sprayed earlier."
Holland pointed out pork and poultry producers also need to be cognizant of the heat. He said if electricity to animal housing facilities goes out for even a short period of time, death losses can be total.
In the meantime, Holland said the hot and humid weather is also favorable for anthrax, and an animal tested positive for the disease Tuesday at a location south of I-90. According to Holland, when anthrax turns up in a cattle herd a whole cascade of consequences follow. That’s why he strongly encourages South Dakota cattle producers to include anthrax in their vaccination regimen.
"I've never talked to a producer who's lost animals from anthrax that said, 'I'm sure glad I didn't vaccinate and waited to handle it once it occurred,'" Holland quipped.
Holland also urged quick testing for anthrax in the case of sudden cattle death loss. He said early diagnosis can help reduce costs related to containment and clean-up efforts.