Unit B10-5

Animal Science and the Industry

Problem Area 10

Veterinary Science

Lesson 5

Identifying Disease Control and Management Practices

Interest Approach

Remember past experiences of being ill. How did you become ill? How did you try to prevent spreading

illness to others? How did others try to prevent illness?

Student Learning Objectives

1. Understand how vaccines are used in disease control.

2. Understand the use of quarantine in disease control.

3. Understand the importance of cleanliness in disease control.

4. Understand the importance of controlling parasites in disease management.

Terms

Antibody Antiseptic Biological products Disinfectant External parasite Internal parasite

Killed vaccine Modified live vaccine Parasite Quarantine Vaccination Vaccines

How are vaccines used in controlling diseases?

Biological products, such as vaccines, enhance immunity and are used primarily to prevent diseases.

Vaccines develop immunity against specific diseases in animals.

A vaccination, or immunization, is the administration of a vaccine to develop immunity. Animals establish immunity to a specific disease through exposure and then by developing their own antibodies to fight off the disease. An antibody is a protein molecule that circulates in the bloodstream and neutralizes disease causing organisms.

Vaccines are classified as either modified live vaccines or killed vaccines.Modified live vaccines, or attenuated vaccines,

will stimulate antibody formation in the vaccinated animal without producing disease symptoms. A modified-live vaccine is as close to natural infection as possible without causing the disease. It provides long term protection.

Killed vaccines are not pathogenic and are unable to infect and replicate. They are typically safer but to be effective they require a second dose in 3-4 weeks and a second vaccination, or a booster dose, within four months. They provide short term protection.

How is quarantine utilized in controlling diseases?

Quarantine is the isolation of an animal infected with or exposed to a contagious disease. The function of quarantine is to avoid the spread of disease to susceptible animals.

It may be enforced against one animal, or all animals in a township, county, state, or country.

How does cleanliness affect the ability to control diseases?

The factors needed for the onset of disease include a susceptible host, pathogenic agent, and favorable environmental conditions, which help the growth and spread of pathogenic microorganisms.

Sanitary conditions will help to decrease the likelihood of disease and parasite problems. Antiseptics and disinfectants are typically used to maintain proper sanitation.

An antiseptic is applied to animal tissues to kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms.

A disinfectant is a product that destroys the cause of disease, the pathogenic microorganisms. Cleaning livestock with disinfectants such as alcohol, iodine, chlorine bleach, or soap will lessen the vulnerability to disease.

How does parasite control affect disease management?

A parasite is an organism that lives on or within another animal. They receive nutrients from their host animal. They can be classified as internal or external.

An internal parasite lives inside the host. Examples of internal parasites include tapeworms, roundworms, protozoa, cattle grubs, and hookworms.

An external parasite lives on the external parts of the animal. Examples include flies, lice, ticks, and mites.

The following are a few examples of diseases caused or spread by parasites:

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by a protozoan known as coccidia that affects cattle, sheep, poultry, and others. Coccidiosis results in diarrhea, bloody feces, and can result in death.

Flies, such as the face fly, are an example of an external parasite that annoys cattle and causes economic loss. They are known to spread diseases such as pink eye.

Equine sleeping sickness is a viral disease in horses that is transmitted by insects that bite horses, mules, and rodents. Affected animals walk aimlessly, appear sleepy, grind their teeth, and may go blind. Many horses will die within two to four days.

Ticks are common external parasites that cause economic loss by spreading diseases such as Texas cattle fever, anaplasmosis, or Q fever.

Review/Summary

How are vaccines used in controlling diseases?

How is quarantine utilized in controlling diseases?

How does cleanliness affect the ability to control diseases?

How does parasite control affect disease management?