Cattle fly and tick control more important than ever

STOCKTON, Mo. – “Fly and tick control is important to reduce the spread of diseases that negatively impact cattle operation’s productivity,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.

Health problems in cattle such as pinkeye, Theileria orientalis (Ikeda) and anaplasmosis are spread through flies and ticks. Davis discusses management strategies to reduce these problems in your cattle operation.

The main culprit that causes pinkeye is the bacterium Moraxella bovis, he says. Face flies irritate the eye and transmit the bacteria. Pinkeye that can affect an animal’s performance until the eyes heal. Davis encourages face fly control to reduce pinkeye.

“Anaplasmosis is caused by red blood cells being infected by the blood parasite Anaplasma marginale,” says Davis. The infection causes an immune response, destroys red blood cells and causes anemia in cattle. Anaplasmosis can lead to abortions, decreased weight gain, bull infertility and animal death. To reduce herd anaplasmosis, Davis encourages cattle producers to reduce modes of transmission, which include ticks, flies and mechanical vectors.

“Theileria orientalis (Ikeda) is a protozoal organism that is negatively impacting cattle production in Missouri,” says Davis. This organism infects the animal’s red bloods cells, and the immune system attacks the infected cells, causing anemia. The symptoms can be mild, with an elevated temperature, depression and pale mucous membranes. More serious cases cause severe depression and jaundice of mucous membranes and vulva. Other symptoms include abortion and loss of body condition, both of which can hurt cattle operation productivity and profitability. Even though most cattle never show symptoms and typical death loss rate is less than 5%, some farms may see much higher rates of illness and death loss than typically reported. The main vector of this of this illness is the Asian longhorn tick, but it can also be spread by other tick species as well as flies and mechanical vectors.

“Consult a veterinarian to have a prevention and treatment plan to help reduce these health issues and minimize effects to your operation” says Davis.

Some things to consider when developing this plan with your veterinarian:

• Preventative vaccinations and injectable/pour-on treatments. Vaccines are available or can be developed with veterinarian help to reduce pinkeye issues. There are also injectable products that can help reduce external parasites that cause these problems, so consult a veterinarian and use based on approval.
• Feed additives. Many feed products can help in control of external parasites and dealing with the symptoms of some of these health problems. Consult your veterinarian and use additives as prescribed.
• Fly and tick control. Methods include backrubbers, dust bags, insecticide tags and strips, sprays and insecticides. Pick the best one that fits your operation.
• Reducing mechanical vector transmission. Since anaplasmosis and Theileria orientalis (Ikeda) affect red blood cells, they can be transmitted through needles and other equipment while cattle are being vaccinated and processed. Consult your veterinarian and implement a plan to reduce transmission through this equipment.

“These health issues can be detrimental to a cattle operation’s bottom line, especially if you lose animals,” says Davis. Consult your veterinarian to implement a plan that will successfully reduce the incidence of these health concerns. If you have questions, consult your local MU Extension livestock field specialist.