No sheep on the farm?

Thewife

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I have been trying to convince Hubby, I "need" a couple of sheep!
I also just found out, dad was considering getting a few sheep!
Dad changed his mind after reading this!
Would you?


TheNewsTribune.com
Section: Local

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Disease kills 19 cattle shown at Puyallup Fair

MELISSA SANTOS; melissa.santos@thenewstribune.com
State veterinarians have found that 19 cattle exhibited during the final days of the Puyallup Fair later died of a fever caused by a type of herpes virus.
The cattle contracted malignant catarrhal fever after being exposed to sheep infected with a strain of herpes, according to a news release issued Thursday by the Western Washington Fair Association, the group that runs the fair every September.

The infected cattle cant spread the disease to humans or other animals, so no quarantine actions have been taken, said Mike Louisell, spokesman for the Washington state Department of Agriculture.

Humans and other cattle are not at risk, Louisell said. Theres no human health or food safety concerns involved in this incident.

He said the MCF outbreak is the biggest the state has ever dealt with, but that theres little risk of it spreading further.

Fair spokeswoman Karen LaFlamme said its the biggest rash of cattle deaths related to MCF ever traced to a fair or similar event, nationally or internationally.

Weve never seen anything like this, LaFlamme said.

Of the 19 cattle that died, 16 belonged to student members of the FFA, the group formerly known as Future Farmers of America. Those animals originated from Fife, Rainier, Elma, Centralia, Arlington, Lynden and Sequim.

The other three cattle fatally infected were Puyallup Fair demonstration animals that came from Buckley.

All were displayed in the Dairy Barn Complex during the last five days of the fair. A total of 133 cattle occupied the barn.

Sheep can spread the virus to other animals through nasal secretions, Louisell said. The fever has no effect on sheep, but can be fatal when passed to cattle, deer or bison.

There is no known vaccination or treatment.

Louisell said state officials are dismayed that such a large outbreak occurred under conditions that are typical of fairs around Washington state and the rest of the country. State officials were still studying the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.

Youve had sheep and cattle be at close proximity at other fairs and this hasnt happened, Louisell said. Its a mystery thats being investigated.

The fever takes 30 to 60 days to incubate, so the animals had returned home by the time their owners discovered they were infected.

Symptoms include fever, nasal and eye secretions, and bloody diarrhea. Some cattle showed few symptoms and died suddenly, Louisell said.

The first report came from a veterinarian in Lynden, who notified the State Veterinarians Office on Nov. 13 that seven cattle in the 7 County town had died. The animals were owned by a local FFA member whod shown them at the Puyallup Fair.

State officials determined after several days of testing that the animals died of MCF, and notified animal exhibitioners and veterinarians throughout the state.

Statewide, agriculture teachers and FFA members were shaken up by the outbreak, said Bob Brown, faculty adviser for the FFA chapter at Arlington High School. Members of his chapter lost three cattle to MCF.

He said its too early to say whether the disease will discourage students from showing their animals at fairs in the future.

I think it caught everyone off guard, Brown said. Some of the kids may be affected by it, and say, I dont want to be involved with that. Others will probably go ahead and do it anyway.

When its investigation is complete, the State Veterinarians Office will develop a protocol and educational materials to prevent future outbreaks, Louisell said.

Meanwhile, the Puyallup Fair will develop rules of its own, LaFlamme said. Those could include separating sheep and cattle exhibitions, as well as holding cattle and sheep exhibits during separate times of the fair.

The important thing is the safety of the animals, LaFlamme said. Were just hoping at this point that this is the end of it.
 

Farmer Kitty

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Anytime you take an animal to a fair or show there is a chance of them catching something. That is what happened here. It could have just as easily been a different disease passed on by other cattle. That is why quarentines are such a great idea. It isolates the animals that either have been off the farm for a show or a new animal coming in.

I wouldn't let this article scare me away from having sheep if I wanted them. Quarentine the sheep coming in for 30-45 days--you should do this even if buying in a new cow or bull. If you don't have room to quarentine then you have to weigh the decision of whether or not you want to take the chance.
 

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