Volume 12, Number 2—February 2006
Perspective
Detecting Emerging Diseases in Farm Animals through Clinical Observations
Table 1
Examples of emerging diseases and how they were detected and identified in farm animals in the last 20 years
| Emerging disease (etiology) | Species | Location, date | Detection keys at time of emergence | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue tongue (Reoviridae) | Sheep | Mediterranean basin, 1998–01 | Disease normally occurring south of the Mediterranean basin | (10) |
| Border (Flaviviridae) | Sheep | France, 1994 | Unusual death rates and clinical signs for the region: abortion, nervous signs, hydrocephalus | (11) |
| Bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (CD 18 gene mutation) | Holstein cattle | Different countries, 1980s | Unusual death rates in calves with recurrent infections | (12) |
| Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (prion) | Cattle | Great Britain, 1980 | Unusual clinical and pathologic signs in the species: progressive neurologic disorders, gray matter vacuolation and scrapie associated fibrils | (8) |
| Complex vertebral malformation (SLC35A3 gene mutation) | Dairy cattle | Denmark, 2000 | Unknown lethal congenital defect | (13) |
| Epizootic rabbit enteropathy (unidentified virus) | Rabbits | Europe, 1996 | Unknown disease: serious enteritis, highly contagious, often fatal | (14) |
| Hendra virus disease (Paramyxovirus) | Horses, humans | Australia, Papua New Guinea, 1994 | Sudden outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome in horses | (15) |
| Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 virus) | Poultry, humans | Southeast Asian countries, 2003–2004 | Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry | (16) |
| Nipah virus disease (Paramyxovirus) | Swine, humans | Malaysia and Singapore, 1998 | Outbreak of unknown highly contagious disease in pigs: acute fever, respiratory signs, neurologic signs; encephalitis in humans | (17) |
| Porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (suspected porcine circovirus 2) | Swine | United Kingdom, 1993 | Unusual clinical signs: unusual skin lesions in patches and plaques | (18) |
| Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (Arteriviridae) | Swine | North America, 1987 | Unusual association of: swine infertility, respiratory problems, abortion, and cyanotic ears | (19) |
| Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (Suspected porcine circovirus 2) | Swine | Canada, 1990 | Unusual association of: wasting, dyspnea, enlarged lymph nodes, diarrhea, pallor, and jaundice | (18) |
| Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (Caliciviridae) | Rabbits | China, 1984 | Unusual high death rate and hemorrhage | (20) |
| West Nile fever (Flaviviridae) | Humans, crows | United States, 1999 | Unusual cluster of human encephalitis, extensive death rate in crows, deaths of exotic birds in a zoo | (21) |
