Published Date: 2012-08-08 16:11:46
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR Undiagnosed deaths, bovine, ovine – Kazakhstan: (AM) RFI
Archive Number: 20120808.1234912
UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, BOVINE, OVINE – KAZAKHSTAN: (AKMOLA) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sat 4 Aug 2012
Source: Centrasia, Kazakhstan [in Russian, machine trans., edited]
http://www.centrasia.ru/newsA.php?st=1344069360
Unknown disease kills cattle in Akmola; sheep suffer allergy to certain plants
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According to the CTC channel, veterinarians cannot determine the exact cause of the mass deaths of cattle in Akmola area. During the last 3 months sheep have died almost daily in the village of Zarechnoye. Bumps appear on the animal’s body, followed by sudden swollen head.
Local veterinarians suggest that the sheep are allergic to some plants. Villagers have been advised to change the pasture where animals graze.
“There was a toxemia from grazing near the river where they ingest oil-producing crops, buckwheat, millet, and clover. Hot weather leads to the production of toxins which cause allergic reactions,” says a veterinarian, Nurlan Dautbaev. The peasants themselves, however, argue that the crops are not the cause of the losses: fields were sown long ago, and the animals began to die just now.
Authorities blame the peasants; “there might be some disease, but information has been concealed until recently, though the health issue started already last fall [2011],” said regional official Erkin Baikenov.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org
[The information included in the newswire above (our apology for some possible translational inaccuracies) is ambiguous. It appears that serious losses in livestock, namely sheep and cattle, have occurred. This may also be witnessed by video clips from local TV news programs: for example, a report on cattle mortality, dating back to April 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP8rwTK5drU), and on disease in sheep, dated 4 Aug 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZtmvYEoJVY).
The mentioned "bumps" which allegedly appeared on the sheep's body, followed by "sudden swollen head," can be interpreted several ways, including as a manifestation of lesions caused by photosensitizing plants or by other agents which may cause edema in sheep, including infectious ones (such as bluetongue virus).
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Kazakhstan can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/31dj. The location of Zarechnoye village can be seen on the map at http://goo.gl/maps/BN1ao.
Updated information, in particular the results of veterinary investigations and laboratory tests, are requested. - Mod.AS]
See Also
Undiagnosed die-off, saiga antelope – Kazakhstan 20120522.114117]
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Article source: http://healthmap.org/ln.php?1234912&promed&0