Giving up on salmonella vaccination is a gamble not worth taking
The vaccine isn’t cheap but an outbreak of this horrible, costly disease in your herd is something you won’t forget in a hurry
By the time I realised it was August, we were already a full week in. This unusual year has been slipping by quickly without us even realising. There have been no matches to punctuate the months, no Ploughing Championship or Tullamore Show to look forward to and to remind us what time of the year it is.
Vaccinations for preventable diseases that occur at this time of year can easily be forgotten. “It’s hardly time to do that already, is it?” was a response I got this week when discussing a vaccination protocol with a dairy client.
Salmonella is a very serious and costly bacterial disease that can be avoided with vaccination this month.
It is most commonly known for causing abortion in the autumn and winter, but there are many other symptoms.
A significant reduction in milk yield, diarrhoea and even death can occur in adult animals.
Young stock can suffer from scour, joint infections and septicaemia and, most infamously, terminal dry gangrene, where the blood supply to the calves’ extremities is compromised. The ears, feet and tail can become cold and gangrenous and literally rot off. The mortality rate is very high.
If you have never had salmonella in your herd, bear in mind that anyone that has had a severe outbreak probably was experiencing it for the first time too.
It can enter a herd in a number of ways: via birds or rodents, contaminated water or feed, on farm visitors or vehicles, by contact with neighbouring cattle, or sometimes carrier animals can shed the bacteria during times of stress.
An outbreak of salmonella is not something you forget in a hurry. Aborting cows often need veterinary assistance. The decomposing foetus can come apart in several pieces
not a job for the fainthearted.
The affected cow will often be very sick. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and aggressive fluid therapy are all required to try to keep it alive.
Calves with terminal dry gangrene will more often than not need to be euthanised.
Prevention is the only sensible option. Bovivac
S is the only salmonella vaccine licensed in Ireland. It is initially a two-shot programme, 14-21 days apart. A booster shot is given yearly thereafter.
Firing line
Salmonella vaccine is often one of the first in the firing line when it comes to cutting a vaccine from the herd health plan in order to ‘save’ money. It can retail close to €6/animal. If vaccinating for the first time, two shots are needed so it’s roughly €12 per head.
One of the most common questions I get asked about salmonella vaccination is: “Would I get away without doing it this year?”
The answer is simple: it’s a huge gamble.
The cost of an outbreak of salmonella is eye-watering. Research estimates that an uncontrolled outbreak in a dairy herd in Ireland can cost €112/cow/year.
With most diseases, we estimate that an outbreak is six times more expensive than the price of the vaccine. In a herd vaccinating yearly against salmonella, it costs
€6/hd to prevent a disease that could cost €112/hd.
Giving up on this vaccine is not a risk I would be willing to take.
Vaccination is the cornerstone of prevention, but there are other measures that can help.
■ Disinfection points should be placed at all entrances to the farm.
■ Contact between visitors and livestock should be kept to a minimum.
Boundary fencing should not only be stock-proof, but also, if possible, prevent nose-to-nose contact with neighbouring animals. This is useful in the prevention of any transmissible diseases between livestock.
■ Vermin control is vital, as is preventing birds from accessing feed stores.
■ In the era of expansion, maintaining a closed herd is next to impossible so the next best thing should be aimed for: buying from a herd with a known disease status.
■ A quarantine period should be implemented for all purchased animals.
If you are in any doubt about the prevalence of salmonella in your herd, give your vet a quick call. Blood samples can be taken from 8-10 cows or, if there has already been an abortion, the calf and
A price worth paying:
Eamon O’Connell urges farmers to vaccinate against salmonella placenta can be sent to the lab.
The high-risk period beginning in September will be upon us before we know it. Before buying school books and uniforms takes over, now is the time to vaccinate.