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Dewlap Injections:

In areas of the country that brand young calves in the spring, recent approval of a dewlap injection site by the Nebraska Cattlemen BQA program will come as good news. The dewlap area is a relatively easy area to access during the time that calves are branded. In contract, the approved triangular injection zone on a calf's neck is often covered by the person holding the calf. For more information and photos depicting the approved process go to:
Dewlap_Flyer_0702.pdf

SQ injection in the dewlap area

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that does not affect humans but has devastating effects on animals with cloven hooves, such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats and deer. The U.S. has not had a case of foot-and-mouth disease since 1929, an outbreak that was quickly contained and eradicated. However, information about the disease was widely publicized during 2001, due to large outbreaks in Great Britain and other European nations.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious virus and can be spread among animals through movement of infected animals, contaminated vehicles, contaminated facilities, contaminated hay or feedstuffs and if susceptible animals drink from a common water source. Because of this highly contagious nature of the disease, concern arose about the possibility of an outbreak in the United States, because the virus can also be spread by people who come in contact with it. People can spread it to animals through clothing, footwear or other equipment/materials. However; there are many things being done to keep foot-and-mouth out of the United States. These are just a few of the things the United States Department of Agriculture is doing to ensure there is not an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States:

• As part of its ongoing surveillance program, the USDA conducts hundreds of field inquiries each year in an effort to detect animal diseases that might affect livestock.
• When there is an outbreak of FMD in another country, the U.S. temporarily prohibits the importation of animals and animal products from that country into the United States. These restrictions are in addition to those already in place on ruminants and ruminant products to prevent the introduction of BSE into the U.S.
• The government also prohibits travelers from carrying into the United States any agricultural products, particularly animal products that could spread FMD. Passengers are required to identify any farm contact to Customs and USDA officials. All baggage is subject to inspection. Violations could result in penalties of up to $1,000.
• There is heightened alert at ports of entry and airports to ensure passengers, luggage and cargo are checked as appropriate. This includes placing additional inspectors and dog teams at airports to check incoming flights and passengers.

See other USDA photos of Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

NebFact 454 - Information About Foot and Mouth Disease for Nebraska Residents

What is your role as a 4-H exhibitor?

While there are currently no cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the U.S., there are several steps you and other producers can take to help prevent the virus from spreading if it ever did show up here:

• Know who is on your farms/ranches/property at all times. If people from other countries where confirmed cases of FMD have been found are scheduled to visit your property, make sure they wear freshly cleaned clothing and footwear.
• Because you may be taking your animals to exhibitions where there are people from foreign countries, you need to be especially careful with these animals. After returning from a show, isolate or quarantine the animals that were at the show for at least one week. The average incubation period for FMD is 3 to 8 days. Thus, if animals were exposed at an exhibition, by quarantining them at home, you would limit the spread of the disease, rather than running the risk of infecting your whole herd.
• Immediately contact your state veterinarian, State or Federal animal disease control centers or your county extension educator if you suspect symptoms of FMD.

Learn more about safeguards while attending fairs at with the University of Nebraska publication, NebFacts, Biosecurity: Protecting Your Health and the Health of Your Animals

Visit the Animal Health page of National Cattlemen's Beef Organization to learn more about Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

BSE - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - "Mad Cow" Disease

First identified in 1985, BSE is a degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. Commonly known as "mad cow disease," BSE has not been found in the U.S., but it has been detected in the United Kingdom and other European countries. In 2003, one isolated case was also detected in Canada. Because it was identified in several foreign countries, the disease gained attention from the news media. Some important points to remember about BSE are:

The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis has conducted a study to evaluate the risk of BSE occurring in the United States. The study was released in November 2001 and found the risk of BSE ever occurring in the U.S. is "very low."

What is your role as a 4-H exhibitor?

While there are currently no cases of BSE in the U.S., it is important that we all follow safeguards to ensure the disease does not occur here, or if it does that it does not spread. An important step you can take is to talk to your feed suppliers, and have written documentation that the feeds they buy and sell are free of prohibited materials. For more information about one of the expectations of you as an exhibitor, that of signing an affidavit indicating you have not fed any prohibited materials , see UNL publication NebFacts, "Banned Mammalian Protein" - What Does it Mean?

Visit the Animal Health page of National Cattlemen's Beef Organization learn more about FMD, BSE and other diseases.