CALF_News_June_July_2021

19 CALF News • June | July 2021 • www.calfnews.net wildlife across the world. The tubercu- losis vaccination “provokes a severe local granulomatous reaction” and later results in false positive tests. It is not considered an acceptable means of control. Leprosy Perhaps the disease carrying the most stigma that’s caused by Myco- plasma is leprosy. Wikipedia states the earliest known skeletal evidence of leprosy dates back to 2000 B.C., found in human remains in archeological sites in India and Pakistan. Historians have traced the path of this debilitating ill- ness along migration, colonization and slave trade routes as civilization moved across the world. Advanced scientific technology has determined that it originated either in Africa or Western Eurasia. A major breakthrough was accom- plished in 1873 by a G.H. Armaur Hansen in Norway. He found the caus- ative agent in Mycoplasma , making it the first bacterium to be identified as a cause of disease in humans. The decades of the 1940s through ‘70s each saw development of effective treat- ments for leprosy. Multi-drug therapies were developed in the 1980s and are now standard treatment worldwide. Many lepers, identified as “unclean,” suffered incarceration in sanatoriums (“lep- rosariums”) or on isolated islands until the 1980s. Today, India accounts for more than half of the global disease burden. Until 2019, one could justify divorce with a spouse’s diagnosis of leprosy. Armadillos are notorious as a res- ervoir for the disease; the scaly little animals are largely found in the southern U.S. and into Central America. The stigma of leprosy continues to be a problem in developing countries, where the disease is still common. Impover- ished populations are less likely to seek diagnosis and treatment, so leprosy maintains a toehold. Johne’s Disease Also called Paratuberculosis, Johne’s disease is endemic worldwide and most dramatically affects dairy cattle. It is estimated that in most dairy producing countries, 20 to 90 percent of herds are infected. Johne’s disease affects the gut, causing an enteritis that interferes with nutrient uptake. Typically, cattle are infected at birth by their dam’s contaminated fecal matter. An insidious invader, Johne’s bacteria can live for years in the soil and water tanks. Rabbits are common carriers, making beef cow herds susceptible to the illness. Deer carrying chronic wasting disease (CWD) may also spread the bacteria. It is estimated that at least 40 percent of U.S. beef herds are infected in some way. Cattle can remain healthy in their youth, but shed pathogens for years. At about 5 years of age, a stress event such as calving will trigger a rise in chronic granulomas. Cows will literally starve to death in a matter of months. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual , weight loss and severe diarrhea can be constant The First Hydraulic Corral and still the Largest! •Pull on highway at speed limit. •Fits through any gate your pickup will. •Stable on uneven terrain. •Wheels on each panel and electric over hydraulic jack eliminates lifting—saves time. •Permanent sheeted adjustable alley. •Frame gates for sorting. •Transport wheels are permanent, no sliding off the axles and rolling out of the way. Rawhide Portable Corral 900 NORTHWASHINGTON ST., ABILENE, KS 67410 785.263.3436 www.rawhideportablecorral.com Rawhide Processor by John McDonald 3 Sizes Available! Continued on page 30 