Tracing of stock movements complete
From the May 2008 edition of Agriculture Today.
NSW DPI veterinarians and regulatory officers have traced all livestock movements from two NSW North Coast properties hit by tick fever in March.
No new tick fever cases have been found, but a total of 13 North Coast properties have been placed in quarantine for cattle ticks and the stock on them are being treated for cattle ticks as a precaution.
Fifteen head of cattle died from tick fever in March on the two properties.
Tick fever was first confirmed in a mob of 28 heifers on a dairy property at Burringbar, near Murwillumbah.
Twelve animals died on the property but none since late March when the remainder of the mob was treated with the antidote drug Imizol.
NSW DPI regulatory officers found cattle ticks on the stock during an inspection.
Tick fever was confirmed on the second North Coast property at Alstonville two days later by NSW DPI veterinarians, where three head of cattle died from the disease.
The property near Alstonville is also in quarantine and the remaining cattle on the property have been treated with Imizol.
Cattle ticks were also found on these stock during an inspection.
NSW DPI veterinary investigators traced the Alstonville property, as it had purchased an entire herd of Dexter cattle from a neighbour of the Burringbar infected property.
NSW DPI staff have traced livestock movements on and off the affected properties to limit any further spread and identify the origin of the infection.
Stock on the 13 properties that have been quarantined are undergoing treatment for cattle ticks.
There is no sign of tick fever on any properties other than the original two at Burringbar and Alstonville.
