(Southeastern IN) – The Franklin and Ripley County Health Officer has a warning about a condition affecting local livestock.
Dr. David Welsh says some heads of cattle that died in Franklin County recently were evaluated and found to have Anaplasmosis, which is acquired through tick bites.
“It is a special form that affects cattle. It does not transmit over to humans,” Dr. Welsh said.
He says dogs can also be affected but not as seriously.
Signs to watch out for include dogs becoming lethargic, vomiting or blood through the nose; cattle stop eating, become discolored, their blood count goes down, and they don’t produce as much milk.
If your animals are showing signs, Dr. Welsh says have a veterinarian check them out.
There are steps you can take to keep them safe, he says.
“The best thing to do is to keep cattle out of the woods where the ticks are higher. Higher grass is a habitat ticks like,” Dr. Welsh said. “There is treatment for both of those.”
Dr. Welsh says he was informed of this Friday morning.
