Vaccination obligation for cattle: How farmers want to protect themselves in Salzburg

Vaccination obligation for cattle: How farmers want to protect themselves in Salzburg

In Austria, there is a risk of worrying wave of animal diseases that will be willing to alert. Josef Mühlbacher from Anthering, who holds around a hundred cattle, have already taken measures. He had his herd vaccinated against the blue -tongue disease in autumn after almost 15,000 infected animals were recorded in Germany. This disease often manifests itself through high fever, inflammation on the mucous membranes and can lead to miscarriages in pregnant cows. "If you then have severe courses, it is difficult to cope with this in terms of work," said Mühlbacher. The state veterinary director Peter Schiefer warned that a new wave of infection could also reach Salzburg, which is why the vaccination rate has to be significantly increased to protect the animals.

vaccination strategies and skepticism among farmers

currently only about 12 percent of cattle are vaccinated in Salzburg - this is far below the target of 30 to 40 percent. With three currently available vaccines that will soon also be approved by the EU, this vaccination rate could be raised quickly. "The best way to protect yourself from this disease is vaccination," explained Bruno Deutinger from the Chamber of Agriculture. Nevertheless, there are skeptics among the farmers who are skeptical of vaccination.

But not only the blue -tongue disease is a problem. Salmonella can also do great damage, the current reports on symptoms such as diarrhea and abortions show. It is particularly tricky that many infected animals do not show any obvious signs of illness, but represent a permanent source for salmonella eggs. While in affected companies often only affects an infection when abortions occur frequently, the symptoms in calves can have serious consequences. The symptoms vary greatly depending on the immune status of the cattle, which makes the diagnosis difficult. According to the experts, rapid recognition and treatment is essential to prevent the spread of infections, such as orf.at and LKO.AT Report.