Lesson 6

A. Shipping Fever

Bovine shipping fever is an infectious respiratory disease. It is somewhat comparable clinically to influenza in man, but it has a longer incubation period and is primarily a disease of the lungs.

It has been a major disease of cattle for at least half a century. In some years it probably has caused the death of more young cattle that any other disease.

Because its primary cause has not been determined, it has never been given a fully satisfactory name.

Shipping fever usually is associated with the shipping of animals. It often spreads during transportation of native stock, and it occurs occasionally in unmoved cattle. At one time it was called stockyard disease because the animals frequently had passed through stockyards.

It also has been called "haemorrhagic septicemia", but that name seems to have little justification because it does not indicate the cause or the primary characteristics of the disease.

Haemorrhages are rather common, but septicemia, infection in the blood stream, is present only in the later stages, if at all. When the true cause of shipping fever is established, a more appropriate name may be applied.

Vocabulary List

bovine(adv) - бычий, коровийstockyard- скотный двор,

(от лат. bos,bovis- бык) скотопригонный двор

shippingfever- транспортная justification- зд. – правомерность лихорадка отship(v) - перевозить на корабле

haemorrhage- кровотечение,shipping- отправка, перевозка

ifatall- зд.- если вообще это(происходит)

somewhat(adv.) немного, до некоторой степени

apply(v) - применять,

determine (v) - определять, appropriate(adv) - подходящий,

associate(v) – связыватьcчем-л. associated- соответствующий

nativestock- местная порода feedlot- откормочный двор

stock- зд.- скотdeficiency(n) - недостаток, нехватка

cattle– КРС environment(n) – окружающая среда

feedercattle– мясной (откормочный) скот avoid(v) - избегать

Exercise 1. Read the text "Shipping Fever" Part A and answer the following questions:

1. What kind of a disease is Shipping Fever?

1. Does it cause heavy losses?

2. What is Shipping Fever associated with?

3. Is the name "haemorrhagic septicemia" appropriate for Shipping Fever?

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions in Russian and in English:

1. Is shipping fever an infectious disease?

2. Does it resemble influenza in man?

3. Has the primary cause of the disease been determined?

3. Why was the disease called stockyard one?

3. Are haemorrhages and septicemia common in shipping fever?

4. Is the true cause of shipping fever established?

Exercise 3. Translate the text "Shipping Fever" Part A. into Russian.

B. Shipping Fever

Shipping fever occurs in all parts of the world. It may affect cattle of any age or type. A few or most of the animals in a herd may be affected. It is particularly prevalent in feeder cattle just after they have been moved from the range or from their home environment to the feed lot.

It may occur in any season, but most cases are in fall, when most of the movement occurs. The crowded feeder cattle traffic lanes apparently become quite contaminated, thus increasing the exposure of the animals to all infections. Stockyards, sales barns and other yards, railroad cars, trucks and other vehicles, and private feeder yards become contaminated. It is possible that healthy-looking or recovered animals may carry and spread the infection.

Stress conditions are major predisposing factors for shipping fever, especially the excitement, exhaustion, and changes of feed and water that attend the shipping of animals. Irritation of the respiratory mucous membrane by dust stirred up during movement, overcrowding, long periods without feed and water, and weather changes also frequently are predisposing factors.

Calves weaned just before being shipped seem to be most susceptible, probably because they are more excitable and because they experience more marked feed changes than older cattle. Resistance increases with the age of the animals.

Good physical condition seems to afford little protection against incurring shipping fever, but it undoubtedly is a factor in avoiding complications and serious losses. Poorly nourished and highly parasitized animals usually are more seriously affected and less responsive to treatment. Deficiencies, particularly of vitamin A, could also be expected to reduce the resistance of the animals against respiratory infection.