Belgium: Royal GD points to risk of introduction of besnoitiosis
Frozen Bone-In Beef
Cow Milk
Dairy
Meat
Belgium
Published Mar 25, 2023
Tridge summary
For the past 15 years there has been a clear advance of the bovine disease besnoitiosis. The number of infected cattle in Belgium has risen sharply in recent years, as a result of the import of animals that turned out to be infected. Besnoitiosis mainly occurs in beef cattle, but cases have also been reported in dairy cattle.
Original content
Besnoitiosis is caused by the parasite Besnoitia besnoiti. Blood-sucking insects spread it. Another route of contamination is the reuse of hypodermic needles. The average time between infection and outbreak of the disease is 13 days, but can be up to two months. The first acute symptoms that indicate an infection are very general, namely a lethargic animal that eats poorly, loses weight and develops a high fever. The second stage of development occurs 4 to 8 weeks after infection. Only then do cysts form. These can mainly be seen as white dots on the cornea or in the mucous membrane of the vagina. Due to the multiplication of cysts, the parasites enter the bloodstream and swelling in joints can occur due to fluid accumulation. Cysts just under the skin cause thickenings on which the hairs fall out. Besnoitiosis cannot be treated with medication. Besnoitiosis enters the farm through the ...
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