Stanislaus & San Joaquin Counties 3

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1 University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Stanislaus & San Joaquin Counties 3 Did You Know... Which mineral supplied by beef is most likely to be missing from American diets? Beef is one of the best food sources of iron, a mineral lacking especially in the diets of many women and children. Livestock Lines ANAPLASMOSIS September 2012 Volume 18 No. An increase in Anaplasmosis has been seen lately, and extending down into the valley where we typically do not see it. The cause is believed to be a combination of decreased pressure on mountain lions and increased pressure on deer in the foothills, causing the deer to move down to the valley. Below is an excerpt from Dr. Maas s article on Analpasmosis from June It is important to make sure you stay on top of animal health, especially Anaplasmosis since an outbreak can result in large losses. A dairy in Wisconsin saw 15 to 20 cows per week die from Anaplasmosis. What is Anaplasmosis? This is a disease of cattle caused by an organism called Anaplasma marginale. This organism is a rickettsia halfway between viruses and the bacteria. It cannot grow without living cells (like a virus) but is susceptible to tetracyclines (like the bacteria). The disease, anaplasmosis, is caused when the infected cattle react to the agent and remove their own infected red blood cells. This reaction causes a severe anemia and often death. By Theresa Becchetti Livestock and Natural Resources Farm Advisor To simplify information, trade names of products have been used. No endorsement of named products is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products which are not mentioned. Which cattle are susceptible to infection with A. marginale? All cattle are susceptible to infection by A. marginale. Also, deer, elk, and other wild ruminants are susceptible to becoming infected and can act as natural reservoirs of the agent. Cattle of any age can become infected; however, young cattle do not become ill, as will be explained later. How do cattle become infected with the anaplasmosis agent? A number of ruminants such as cattle, deer, and elk can be carriers of the anaplasmosis agent. These species can carry the agent all or most of their lives and serve as a reservoir for infection of other animals. The transfer of the agent from a carrier animal to a susceptible animal can occur by a number of routes. One of the most common ways is via ticks. In Anaplasmosis pg. 1-2, Beef Quality Assurance pg. 3 Forage Production pg. 4 Fire and Forage Loss Calculator pg. 4-5 Upcoming Meetings pg. 5 Small Landowner Short Course Meetings pg. 6 Johne's Disease in Beef Herds: What are the Issues? pg. 7-9 National Rangeland Conference pg. 9 The University of California prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person employed by or seeking employment with the University on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services (as defined by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994: service in the uniformed services includes membership, application for membership, performance of service, application for service, or obligation for service in the uniformed services) or any person in any of its programs activities. University policy also prohibits retaliation against any employee or person seeking employment or any person participating in any of its programs or activities for bringing a complaint of discrimination or harassment pursuant to this policy. This policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws. Inquiries regarding the University's equal employment opportunity policies may be directed to Linda Marie Manton, Affirmative Action Contact, University of California, Davis, Agriculture and Natural Resources, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, (530)

2 California, we have a number of ticks that transmit the anaplasmosis agent and are extremely effective at passing the agent to new, susceptible hosts. Additionally, transmission of a small amount of blood from a carrier animal to a susceptible animal can transmit anaplasmosis. So insects such as horse flies are capable of transmission. An even larger culprit in this type of transmission is man. Ear-tagging instruments, tattoo tools, needles, ear implant tools, castrating instruments, dehorning instruments, etc., can all easily transmit the agent. So we can also be important in the spread of this disease. What happens when a susceptible animal becomes infected? If the animal is a calf under the age of 12 months, virtually nothing is noticed. The calf undergoes an incubation period of about 45 to 90 days, has a very mild illness, which is rarely noticed, and becomes a carrier for life. Cattle that become infected between 1 and 2 years of age become ill after the incubation period, with severity increasing with age. Cattle over 2 years of age become very ill and approximately 50% die unless treated. The older the animal and the better shape they are in--the sicker they get! Usually, once the cattle become infected, and if they survive, they stay infected for life. They are "immune carriers"-they do not get sick; but, act a reservoir for other susceptible animals. Therefore, being an infected carrier protects the animal from becoming sick if re-infected by ticks or other means. What determines if a herd will have problems with anaplasmosis? The location of the herd is important in determining whether or not problems will occur. The cattle and deer that might be reservoirs and the ticks that naturally transmit the disease are the primary factors. For example, herds raised in the central valley of California on permanent pasture, with no ticks, no deer, and no carrier cattle; there is essentially no risk of anaplasmosis. These cattle are free of the disease, have no immunity (unless vaccinated), and are totally susceptible to infection and disease. If these cattle are introduced to oak foothill pastures, especially during a bad tick year, they will become infected, get sick, and 50% will die if not treated. When cattle are raised in the coastal foothills, Sierra foothills, and many mountain areas of California, they become infected early in life, have no clinical disease when infected (because they are young), and are immune carriers. If new, susceptible cattle come into these areas, they are at risk. If these carrier cattle go to the valley pastures, they may act as sources of infection especially via blood transfer (dehorning instruments, ear taggers, horse fly transmission, etc.). Many cattle herds are between these two extremes and it is common for a percentage of the adult animals to become infected and sick every year. These are herds that need to vaccinate routinely to prevent losses. It is common for bulls that come from anaplasmosis-free areas to be very susceptible when introduced into areas where anaplasmosis is common. Remember, when bulls become infected and are successfully treated (do not die) they are often sterile for many months. What can I do to prevent anaplasmosis in my herd? This depends on the risk of anaplasmosis in your operation. For those valley herds, the only real risk is introduction of carrier cattle and transfer of blood (horse flies, dehorners, tattoo instruments, castration instruments, etc.) from the new cattle to your native, susceptible animals. For foothill or mountain herds, you have to be sure incoming cattle (cows, heifers or bulls) are from anaplasmosis areas or have been vaccinated. For herds intermediate in risk, you will want to review your vaccination program with your veterinarian. Continued on page 4 2

3 Quality Assurance Program Beef Quality Assurance Program Oakdale Rodeo Clubhouse 1624 East F Street Oakdale, CA September 26, :30am 12:00pm A Beef Quality Assurance Program is being held by the University of California Cooperative Extension and California Cattlemen s Association at the Oakdale Rodeo Grounds Clubhouse on September 26 th. Topics will include injection and vaccine information, animal ID, age and source verification and national bull and cow beef quality audit. There is no charge for the meeting unless you need to be certified through California Cattlemen s Association. **Certification needs to be completed every three years to remain current. ** The fee is $25 per Certification; checks made payable to California Cattlemen s Association will be collected on the day of the event. For more information and to pre-register, please contact Theresa Becchetti ( ) or register on-line at by September 19th. Agenda Register on-line here! 9:15 am Registration 9:30 am Beef Quality Assurance Program Dr. John Maas, Dr. Jim Oltjen, Stevie Ipsen (CCA), Theresa Becchetti & Jennifer Heguy 10:30 am Break Sponsored By: 10:45 am Quality Assurance Program Continues 12:00 pm Adjourn 3

4 Anaplasmosis continued from page 2 What vaccines are available? In California we have had two vaccine options for the past several years. The first is a live vaccine available from Poultry Health Laboratories and is called Anavac. It is safe and effective when given to young cattle (4 to 11 months of age). The cattle become infected with the vaccine strain of Anaplasma and are immune carriers. This method of preventing disease is basically a controlled infection. If this vaccine (Anavac ) is given to older cattle, they will become sick and could die, just as with the natural disease. Vaccination of mature bulls with Anavac can cause death loss or infertility. A killed vaccine has also been available in California from the California Woolgrowers Association (next door to CCA In Sacramento). When cattle are vaccinated with this killed product (2 doses are needed initially) they develop enough immunity to prevent illness when they become infected. This vaccine does not prevent against infection by the anaplasma organism. When the vaccinated cattle are infected by the Anaplasma marginale organism under field conditions, they go through a normal incubation period of about days, have a slight drop in their red blood cell count, and remain normal in appearance. These vaccinated cattle do not become ill; but, they do carry the field strain Anaplasma organism after they become infected. Most infected cattle then carry the organism for their entire life. They are "immune carriers". That is to say, they are "immune" to becoming sick from the agent; but, are carriers of the agent. If you were to take a small amount of blood from one of these "immune carriers" and put it into a susceptible cow, that cow would become infected and sick. These two vaccines are very important. If you purchase bulls or heifers for replacements this fall, be sure these cattle are protected. If the cattle were vaccinated with the live vaccine (Anavac ) as calves and not fed tetracyclines in the feedlot, they will be immune carriers and safe from getting sick. If they were fed tetracyclines (a common procedure for bulls being grown in a feedlot), they will lose they immunity after 1-2 years if they do not become re-infected and therefore could become susceptible again. If the cattle are over a year of age, be sure they were vaccinated with two doses of the killed investigational vaccine. They should be protected against becoming ill when naturally infected on your ranch. Where can I get these vaccines? The live vaccine, Anavac is available through Poultry Health Laboratories, in Davis, California. It must be shipped on dry ice or in liquid nitrogen. Their number is (530) The killed vaccine is available through California Woolgrowers Association, at (916) This vaccine can be shipped via normal refrigeration. What if I can t obtain the killed vaccine this year, can I substitute the live vaccine? No! The live vaccine will sicken or kill cattle older than 1 year of age. The live vaccine can be used safely and effectively in cattle 11 months of age and younger, however. As you can see from this brief discussion, anaplasmosis is a very complicated disease and the need to vaccinate will vary from herd to herd. Particularly important is the protection of susceptible cattle coming into an anaplasmosis area. Make sure that when you buy bulls or replacement heifers they are protected. Either they are raised in anaplasmosis areas or they have been vaccinated and are protected. This is doubly important for bulls, because if they get sick and don t die, they can be sterile. Much greater care will be necessary this year when buying bulls and/or replacements. Spend some time with your veterinarian to prevent this disease from affecting your herd. We won t make any small mistakes when dealing with anaplasmosis in California! John Maas, DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVN & ACVIM, Extension Veterinarian School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 4

5 FORAGE PRODUCTION With a great start of early germinating rains in the early Fall of 2011, many expected another great forage year. Unfortunately Mother Nature had something else in mind and turned off the water for a few months. In annual grasslands, for a normal forage production year all it takes is timing. Most of our forage grows in March, April and May. When it did start raining again, the timing was right for annual grasses to grow and our Peak Standing Crop clippings demonstrated that, on the east side. The west side foothills just did not receive enough rain and there were losses ranging from a 20% loss to a 99% loss. The majority of the sites we monitor had a loss of 80%. The east side fared better with some sites still producing above normal forage production during the end of the grazing season. The ranches that managed conservatively, shipped early and fed hay will be rewarded with feed to come back to in the fall. Ranches that were not able to ship early saw a decrease by approximately 40% of normal. We recognize that our clipping data only looks at the Peak Standing Crop production, or the end of the grazing season for most years. The UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center by Marysville conducts monthly clippings as well as determines Peak Standing Crop. This year they experienced the lowest spring forage production on record, with April recording a loss of 63%. Based on that data and what we observed locally, Diana Waller (NRCS) and I submitted our forage loss estimate to be between 55 and 70% during the grazing season. FIRE AND FORAGE LOSS CALCULATOR Even with our drought last year, parts of California have been experiencing large wildfires. While many right now have been attributed to a lightning strike, there are some still under investigation. If you or anyone you know has a fire on your ranch and you can file a claim to be reimbursed for the value of lost forage, please remember this website: This site contains a publication (Estimating the Cost of Replacing Forage Losses on California Annual Rangelands, ANR Publication #8446) and spreadsheets to help you document the value of your forage loss to file a claim. It has been used by many people as well as insurance adjusters. The spreadsheet and publication should be easy to use but you can always contact your local UCCE Livestock Advisor for help working through the spreadsheet. If you have a smart phone here is the QR Code for the forage loss calculator: UPCOMING MEETINGS There will be a Beef Quality Assurance meeting at the Oakdale Saddle Club on September 26 th, from 9:30 to 12:00pm. Certifications are good for three years, and since our last local event was three years ago, chances are you need to be re-certified. The cost is $25 per certification made payable to California Cattlemen s Association and paid at the door. To ensure we have enough materials, we are asking for people to register ahead of time by either calling or registering on-line. Details are on the flyer included in this newsletter. On September 27 th there will be a Small Landowner Short Course at the Oakdale Library from 1:00 to 4:30pm. The Short Course is designed to help landowners primarily with horses and less than 20 acres. Theresa Becchetti, UCCE, Diana Waller and Lisa Alamo, both with NRCS, will be conducting the Short Course. While the primary focus is on horses, we will try to provide information for other species if there is interest. Registration information is on the flyer included in this newsletter. 5

6 Small Landowner Short Course Small Landowner Short Course September 27 th Oakdale Library 151 South First Street 12:30pm - 4:30pm Sponsored by University of California Cooperative Extension and Natural Resource Conservation Service Do you own less than 20 acres? Do you have horses or a few other animals? Not quite sure how to get rid of the weeds? What weeds might be poisonous? Are you overfeeding your horses? How do I best manage my land? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Small Landowner Short Course is for you!! We ll provide you with information to help you better manage your land and animals. Come find out about resources available to you through the University and NRCS to make the most of your acreage. For more information please contact Theresa Becchetti at Register by September 19 th. To register on-line: Name(s) Address address To help us better tailor the program to you, please answer the following questions: What type of animals do you own? What type of pasture do you have (irrigated or not?) How many acres do you have for grazing? Please return with $10 registration fee made payable to UC Regents to: Theresa Becchetti, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Ste. A, Modesto, CA Registration due by September 19 th. 6

7 JOHNE'S DISEASE IN BEEF HERDS: What are the issues? What is Johne's disease? Johne's disease (pronounced yo-knees) is a condition of cattle and all other ruminants (both domestic and wild) that causes chronic diarrhea, weight loss, infertility, and eventual death in animals that are infected years earlier. The causative agent of Johne's disease is Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP; paratb), a slow-growing bacterium that can live in the environment for a year or more. Johne's disease in cattle has economic, regulatory, legal, and potential human health significance. How does Johne's disease affect cattle? Cattle with clinical Johne's disease exhibit severe diarrhea and weight loss. The cattle are usually from 2 to 10 years of age when they show signs of this disease. In most cases they became infected with the bacteria at or near birth. Between the time of infection and the first clinical signs is usually several years, during which the cattle appear healthy. How do you diagnose Johne's disease? For cattle with clinical signs of Johne's disease diagnosis is relatively easy. These animals exhibit weight loss and diarrhea as the primary signs. However, several other common diseases show signs of diarrhea and weight loss, including: (1) parasites (roundworms, liver flukes, and coccidiosis), (2) BVD (bovine virus diarrhea), (3) copper deficiency, (4) liver failure, (5) grain overload (founder), (6) selenium deficiency, and (7) Salmonellosis. Cattle with advanced Johne's disease have "bottle jaw" (fluid accumulation under the jaw). A serum sample submitted by your veterinarian to the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory can confirm a diagnosis of Johne's disease for these sick animals. If the sample is positive, the animal has Johne's disease. If an animal dies or is euthanized, a post mortem examination can also easily diagnose the condition. Also, the feces can be cultured for the presence of M. paratuberculosis; however, the laboratory culture of this organism from the feces takes days. The testing of serum from cattle that have not yet developed clinical signs of diarrhea or weight loss, this laboratory test is often negative, despite the fact that these carrier animals will eventually develop clinical disease and then be positive on the serum tests. This is the problem with Johne's disease diagnosis: identifying the carrier animal that is not yet showing signs of weight loss or diarrhea and is shedding M. paratuberculosis. Your veterinarian can help you with diagnosing these animals in a herd. How does the Johne's agent cause disease? The organism, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, usually gains access to the host via oral ingestion, although other routes are possible. The M. paratuberculosis bacterium initially infects the last segment of the small intestine. The growth of the organism and spread of infection is slow and usually takes several years before any disease is detectable in the individual animal. As the amount of small bowel inhabited by the bacterium increases, the numbers of organisms shed in the feces increases. These M. paratuberculosis organisms in the feces of cattle are the primary way Johne's is spread from animal to animal. With time, the infection in the intestinal tract becomes more widespread and the lymph nodes near the bowel become infected with M. paratuberculosis. Later, the organism can become disseminated outside the intestinal tract and infect the uterus, mammary lymph nodes, udder, and sexual organs of bulls. Therefore, the agent can be shed in the milk and semen in addition to the feces. By the time the agent has spread outside the intestinal tract, the feces contain large numbers of M. paratuberculosis that can serve as a source of infection for many animals in the herd. 7

8 How does transmission of the agent occur? Transmission can occur in several ways. The first to consider is prenatal or in utero transmission of the agent. In this instance, the agent passes from the infected cow to the calf before birth and the calf is born infected. Infected cows that are showing clinical signs of Johne's disease (weight loss, diarrhea) transmit the agent to the unborn calf 20 to 40% of the time. For infected cows that are not showing signs of Johne's disease (asymptomatic), in utero transmission occurs about 8% of the time. Clearly, heavily infected, pregnant cows that are showing signs of weight loss or diarrhea should not be kept in the herd to "get just one more calf." These cows will have too high a chance of infecting their calf prenatally and will also shed high numbers of the organism in the environment. If these cows do not transmit the agent to their calf in utero, it is probable they will infect their calf (and perhaps many others) soon after birth. The most common time of infection of calves occurs soon after birth. The young calves are most susceptible to the disease. The organism can be in the feces of the cow and can also be in the colostrum or milk. Also, there is usually some manure on the udder of cows, even in the best of circumstances. Therefore, the act of suckling can expose the calf to M. paratuberculosis in feces on the udder, in the milk (or colostrum), or to fecal contamination in the environment. Two factors determine susceptibility to infection by the Johne's agent; (1) age, and (2) dose of the organism. The younger the animal is, the more susceptible they are. As an animal reaches one year of age, the resistance rises to that of adult levels. Also, the higher the dose, i.e., the more Johne's organisms encountered, the more likely an infection will result. So very young cattle ingesting a high dose of organisms are most likely to become infected and conversely, adult animals ingesting a low dose of organism are least likely to become infected. On beef operations, occasionally, twin calves or orphan calves do not have access to colostrum from their dams and colostrum from dairy cattle is given to these beef calves. Because the incidence of Johne's disease is much higher in dairies, there is increased risk that the M. paratuberculosis organism could be introduced into a clean beef herd in this manner. This could be a potential for herd to herd transmission. Other means of transmission exist. This agent can also infect sheep, goats, and wildlife ruminants such as deer. Johne's disease can affect all these species in a similar way to which it affects cattle. Therefore, transmission can theoretically occur between these ruminant species. Fecal contamination of clothes, boots, and equipment could also move the agent from one premise to another or from animal to animal. Therefore, human activity can be a route of transmission. An important means of transmission on beef operations is via infected bulls. The M. paratuberculosis organism can be found in the semen and accessory sex organs of infected bulls. Additionally, bulls are with the cowherd when the calves are young and if the bull is infected and shedding the organism in his feces (even when he has no signs of disease) he is exposing all the calves at a time when they are most susceptible. The practice of sharing or leasing breeding bulls (particularly older bulls that could be shedding the organism in their feces at high levels) can result in significant spread of Johne's disease in beef herds. Is Johne's disease a public health concern? There has been quite a lot written about the possible link between Johne's disease in ruminants and a disease in humans called Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease of the intestine (ileum and colon) that usually affects patients during the prime of life (teens to early twenties). Most Crohn's disease patients require surgery and intensive medical therapy and suffer chronic pain throughout their lives. Most Crohn's disease patients describe their quality of life as poor. Whether M. paratuberculosis is the cause of Crohn's disease is not known at present. It is possible that patients with severe bowel disease have more chance of opportunistic colonization of their disrupted intestinal mucosa by these types of bacterial agents. However, research in this area will continue and if the 8

9 Johne's agent does cause Crohn's disease or has any role in causing Crohn s disease, beef producers and dairy producers will need to completely eliminate this agent from their herds. How do I prevent and control Johne's disease? Eliminating Johne s disease in an infected herd is very difficult. In fact, some producers find it impossible. Control relies on frequent testing of the adult cow herd (yearly or twice yearly is usually recommended) and identifying and culling any and all carrier animals. If you find yourself in this situation, you will need to work with your veterinarian on both a short term and a long term plan. The problem with controlling the spread of Johne's disease is that we can't efficiently identify the individual carrier animals before they show signs of weight loss or diarrhea. Prevention of Johne's disease is much more efficient and should be the emphasis of all considerations. The most important point is preventing the introduction of known infected cattle into a herd. Therefore, you must avoid introducing animals into your herd from unknown sources, such as leasing bulls, purchasing dairy cattle (which have a higher incidence of Johne's disease than beef cattle) for nurse cows, fertilizing pastures with manure from other herds (particularly dairy herds), or other practices that would expose calves to manure from potential Johne's carrier cattle. Also, if a purebred producer tells you they have never heard of Johne s disease, you should be very suspicious. Have your veterinarian work with their veterinarian before purchasing cattle to insure they are at low risk of having Johne s in their herd. As we all recognize introducing Johne's disease into your herd by purchasing high priced bulls or heifers is not progress! In summary, Johne's disease in cattle causes diarrhea, weight loss, and eventual death in infected cattle. It is a complicated disease because it has a long incubation period, the agent can survive in the environment for long periods, and carrier cattle (that can shed the organism) with no signs of disease are difficult to detect at present. Your veterinarian is your most important source of specific information about this disease and can help you diagnose this condition and help control this disease in your herd if necessary. John Maas, DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVN & ACVIM, Extension Veterinarian School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis NATIONAL RANGELAND CONFERENCE COMES TO SACRAMENTO The Society for Range Management (SRM) will be holding its 68 th Annual Meeting in Sacramento on January 30 through February 7, Our local California Pacific (Cal Pac) section is busy in the beginning stages of planning. Anyone interested in rangelands should consider attending in 2015, and perhaps becoming active in Cal Pac and assisting in the planning of the national meeting. Members run the gamut from ranchers, land managers, students, educators, scientists, and conservationists. Every Annual Meeting contains a day long Ranchers Forum as well as a poster competition between ranches from each section for the Excellence in Range Management. Cal Pac meets twice a year in different parts of the section. Our Fall Meeting will be in Sacramento at the host hotel for 2015 on September 17 th and 18 th, with a focus on the program of water quality on rangelands. For meeting registration and program information go to: or contact Susan Edinger Marshall at Humboldt State University (707) , sem11@humboldt.edu. The Mission of the Society for Range Management to promote the professional development and continuing education of members and the public and the stewardship of rangeland resources. 9

10 University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Stanislaus & San Joaquin Counties 3 Livestock Lines UPCOMING MEETINGS September 2012 Volume 18 No. September 26 th Beef Quality Assurance. Oakdale Saddle Club, 9:30 to 12:00pm September 27 th Small Landowners Short Course. Oakdale Library, 12:30 to 4:30pm Current Resident or: NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MODESTO, CA PERMIT NO University of California Cooperative Extension 3800 Cornucopia Way Modesto, CA 95358