This document discusses three common calf diseases in Jamaica: calf scours, calf pneumonia, and tick fever. Calf scours is diarrhea with many potential causes including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Affected calves show dehydration, fever, and bloody diarrhea. Treatment involves fluid therapy and antibiotics. Calf pneumonia is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria and viruses. Calves display nasal discharge, cough, and reduced appetite. Preventive measures include vaccination and improving ventilation. Tick fever causes fever and weakness transmitted by tick bites. Affected cattle are treated and vaccination helps prevent the disease.

1. CALF DISEASES

2. Mariama Brown
Daneilia Stobbs
Jerlene Webb

3.  Jamaica’s cattle sector has been affected by several
calf diseases. In our Presentation we will highlight
three significant local calf diseases, namely; calf
scours, calf pneumonia and tick fever.
Diagnosing, treating and preventing these diseases
is very important for every cattle industry.

4.  Calf scours can be defined as diarrhea in calves.
Calf scours is not a specific disease with a specific
cause, but it is actually a clinical sign of a disease
complex with many possible causes.

5. 1.Bacterial scours –
 E.Coli,
 Salmonella
 Clostridium perfringens Types C & D
2. Viral scours
 Rotavirus and Corona virus
 Bovine Virus Diarrhea (BVD)
3.Protozoan Scours
 Coccidia and Cryptosporidia

6.  Calves do not drink milk or milk replacer.
 Calves become severely dehydrated and depressed.
 They have a high fever.
 Faeces are watery and often tinged with blood
 Calves show uneasiness and strain or kick at their abdomen
 There may be drooling of saliva

7.  Calves running around the pasture with their tails in the air,
bucking and kicking with yellow or white diarrhea may not need
treatment. The main indications for treatment are:
 General disposition
 Appetite
 Dehydration
 Body temperature

8.  The main treatment is fluid therapy
 Secondary treatments are:
 Antibiotics
 Nursing care.

9.  If more than 5% of your calves are scouring
 If death loss is greater than 2% due to calf scours
 If after treatment your calves keep getting worse

12. Calf pneumonia is a major
problem in dairy and beef
herds. It is a multifactorial
disease, and the most common
post-mortem diagnosis in
calves between one to five
months of age.

13. • Chronic Pneumonia - Chronic
pneumonia is more gradual in onset with
no distinct ill phase and the cow may
appear to still eat well but may have a
slight nasal discharge, sometimes with an
increased respiratory rate and cough.
• Acute Pneumonia - acute (calf or
enzootic) pneumonia is usually more
sudden in onset.

14.  Short-term consequences - reduced dry
matter intake, delayed weaning and
higher risk of an additional pneumonia
event at weaning.
 Long-term Consequences - delayed
breeding, higher age at first calving and
compromised milk production.

15.  Environmental Factors
 Low environmental temperature
 High Humidity
 Poor Ventilation
 Direct Draughts onto calves
 Infectious Agents
 Mannheimia haemolytica
 Haemophilus somnus
 Bovine Respiratort syncytial Virus (RSV)

16.  Dull and depressed
 High temperature
 Raised breathing due to lung damage
 Nasal discharge
 Coughing
 Reduced food intake
 Aloofness
 Weight Loss

17.  Antibiotics,anti-inflammatories or anthelmintics
can be prescribed for treatment.

18.  Ventilation: There should be proper ventilation.Often
if ammonia can be smelled it is a sign of poor
ventilation.
 Vaccination: Vaccines are available to reduce risk of
infection, however they must be used alongside an
effective management programme
 Nutrition: Feeding calves inadequately will reduce calf
growth and their immune system response which helps
fight diseases.
 Colostrum: : All calves must have one gallon of
colostrum within four to six hours of birth to receive
adequate immunity.

21.  A febrile disease transmitted by the bites of
ticks.The disease is believed to have been
introduced as early as 1829 by cattle from
Indonesia infested with the cattle tickBoophilus
microplus

23.  fever (higher than 40oC) for several days before
other signs become obvious
 loss of appetite
 depression
 weakness and a reluctance to move
 red urine (haemoglobinuria) followed by anaemia
and jaundice in the latter stages of infection
 diarrhoea
 abortion in cows

24.  Treatsick cattle
 Confirm diagnosis
 Remove ticks
 Assess the severity
 Vaccinate all 'at-risk' animals
 Protect the rest of the herd
 Monitor cattle in adjoining paddocks
 Start a long-term risk management strategy

25.  There are several options for the prevention of
tick fever, ranging from keeping animals tick-
free and use of Imidocarb for short-term
control, to vaccinating with tick fever vaccine

28.  www.thecattlesite.com/diseaseinfo/196
 http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-
herd/health/Pneumonia-in-dairy-calves-
145156445.html
 www.thecattlesite.com/diseaseinfo/196/