What is Cowdria ruminantium?
Heartwater, caused by the rickettsial agent Cowdria ruminantium, is one of the most devastating livestock diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to domestic cattle, sheep, and goats, a variety of nondomestic species can acquire subclinical and clinical infections.
What causes heartwater?
Heartwater is an infectious, noncontagious, tick-borne disease of domestic and wild ruminants, including cattle, sheep, goats, antelope and buffalo. The disease is caused by an intracellular rickettsial parasite, Cowdria ruminantium, and is transmitted by a number of species of ticks in the genus Amblyomma.
How is Ehrlichia transmitted?
Most people get ehrlichiosis from the bite of an infected tick. Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. ewingii are transmitted by the lone star tick (Ambylomma americanum) [PDF – 2 pages], found primarily in the southcentral and eastern U.S. Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis is spread by the blacklegged tick (I.
Is Ehrlichia bacteria?
Ehrlichiosis is an illness caused by bacteria. It is spread by ticks. The illness causes fever, muscle aches, and other symptoms. It’s an uncommon illness that can affect people of all ages.
What is anaplasmosis in cattle?
Anaplasmosis is a blood cell parasite of cattle with a worldwide distribution, but the disease is most common in tropical and subtropical areas. Anaplasma marginale is the most common organism involved in cattle, and it is transmitted through the bite of Dermacentor spp.
What causes heartwater in goats?
Heartwater is a disease of domestic and wild cattle, deer, sheep and goats. It is caused by the bacteria Ehrlichia ruminantium (air-lick-EEah ROO-mi- NAN-tium), is spread by infected ticks, and commonly causes death of infected animals.
How can I control my heartwater?
And in the case of heartwater, you can stop it striking your animals in the first place. In endemic areas, the disease can usually be controlled by vaccinating the animals, and thereafter only treating for ticks when they become a nuisance.
How do you treat heartwater?
Oxytetracycline at 10 mg/kg/day, IM, or doxycycline at 2 mg/kg/day will usually effect a cure if administered early in the course of heartwater infection. A higher dosage of oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg) is usually required if treatment begins late during the febrile reaction or when clinical signs are evident.
Which ticks carry Ehrlichia?
These bacteria are spread to people primarily through the bite of infected ticks including the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) and the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). People with ehrlichiosis will often have fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and sometimes upset stomach.