Identifying the causes of mortality in cattle on long haul cattle voyages exported to the Middle East

Summary

Respiratory disease is a key welfare concern for cattle being exported by sea from Australia to the Middle East.

To examine how often it occurs, and potential causes, researchers studied the feedlots where cattle are prepared for the voyages, and enlisted the help of the veterinarians who travel on the ships to collect data.

The project found the incidence of respiratory disease in cattle is similar in land-based feedlots and on live export ships, and may be partly a result of bringing together animals from multiple farms, as well as how they are managed.

A Veterinary Export Handbook was developed, which included standard definitions and treatment approaches for range of common diseases and illnesses on livestock export ships. Prototypes were also developed and tested for a smart phone application to collect animal welfare data required for daily reporting on board livestock export ships.

Objectives

This project aimed to develop a system to collect better information about the cause of death of cattle being exported on long sea voyages, and to review training materials for veterinarians and livestock handlers on board ships.

Researchers also looked at the management of cattle in pre-export feedlots and the cause of any deaths, with a focus on respiratory disease.

Key findings

• It is difficult to accurately diagnose respiratory disease as a cause of death without a post mortem examination. On the shipments where this was done, respiratory disease accounted for nearly 50% of the cattle deaths and was present in one third of the other dead cattle examined.
• The project developed new techniques to collect samples from cattle suspected of respiratory disease, to ensure the samples could be brought back to Australia and still be viable for testing.
• There are similar rates of cattle dying from respiratory disease in land-based feedlots and on live export ships.
• The research suggests mixing cattle from multiple properties may be a factor in the rate of infection by viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory disease.
• Management strategies, such as reducing stress and ensuring access to quality feed and water, may be more important than vaccination status in reducing the risk of respiratory disease for cattle being exported.
• Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) was the most common virus detected in the cattle tested – the first time that BCoV had been demonstrated in live export cattle and only the second time that BCoV had been reported in Australian cattle.

Benefits to industry

This project contributed to a far better understanding of cattle management strategies in pre-export feedlots to minimise the risk of respiratory disease causing deaths during live export voyages. It also developed new methods for monitoring and reporting on animal health and welfare.

MLA action

The Veterinary Export Handbook developed by this project was later refined and expanded in a separate project. The Veterinary handbook for cattle, sheep and goats is now available in hardcopy, online and as a smart phone application.

A separate project was initiated to formally develop and deliver a training package and a professionally filmed DVD on how to conduct a post mortem examination (necropsy) on a ship.

A subsequent project has been initiated to develop a standardised system for the collection of data on board livestock export ships.

Future research

The report recommended assessing risk management strategies for respiratory disease in Australian cattle feedlots for ideas relevant to the livestock export industry, and further examination of the role of vaccination.

Research into the detection and management of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) was also recommended.

The report suggests that development of a web-based information management system, coupled with a mobile application running on a hand-held device, is likely to offer major advantages in collection of data during a voyage and contribute to quality assurance, regulatory compliance and good business management.