The first signs of illness from tick fever usually occur seven to 17 days after infection.

Signs include:

• Sudden onset of high fever up to 44 degrees - often the first sign of this is that the animal isolates itself, becomes uneasy and seeks shade
• At first the membranes around the eye are bright red but over a few days turn pale, or even white, as anaemia develops
• The animal’s appetite is depressed and there is a rapid loss in condition. In dairy cows, a drop in milk production occurs at the same time as the fever develops
• Animals can become extremely agitated
• The urine is often red or brown to almost black, hence tick fever is sometimes referred to as redwater
• Pregnant cows may abort

The severity of the illness can range from a mild fever to one which is rapidly fatal.

An animal may die at any time from about three days to four weeks after the onset of the illness.

The fever usually lasts for about a week and the course of the disease is about three weeks.

Treatment with specific drugs usually results in rapid recovery.

Stockowners who suspect tick fever should contact their Rural Lands Protection Board veterinarian or any office of NSW DPI.