Bovine Ephemeral fever or Dengue fever of cattle:

Bovine ephemeral fever or Dengue fever of cattle also known as Three Day Sickness is an arthropod vector-borne disease of cattle and is caused by bovine ephemeral fever virus.
common symptoms of BEF:
Biphasic to ployphasic fever
2.shivering
3.inappetence
4.profuse drooling
5.serous nasal discharge
6.atony of rumen
7.Depression
8.stiffness and lameness
9.affected cattle
may become recumbent
and paralyzed from 8 hours to 7 days.
10.sudden reduction in
milk production in milch
cows.

Differential diagnosis :

1.foot and mouth disease
2.hypocalcaemia
3.foot rot
4.fracture of bones in limbs
5.Black quarter disease

Bovine Ephemeral Fever (BEF), commonly known as ‘three day sickness’, causes a short but significant fever, drooling, shivering, a discharge from eyes and nose, lameness and muscular soreness.

Animals may become recumbent for a day or two. For the most part, BEF is a mild transient illness hence the name ‘three day sickness’. But some animals can be more significantly affected and cattle deaths can result. Thus the disease and the need to manage cases shouldn’t be underestimated.

In particular heavy animals such as bulls and big cows may be most severely affected. A transient infertility in bulls can occur and a small proportion of pregnant cows can abort, presumably from the high fever.

Early veterinary treatment can mediate these impacts and prevent animals from becoming recumbent. Good nursing care can be the difference between affected cattle recovering in the normal three-day window or succumbing to secondary health effects from dehydration, particularly in hot weather, or sustained recumbency.

For information on vaccinating your herd or managing BEF, please contact your private veterinarian or discuss with our team at LLS by calling 1300 795 299.

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Bovine Ephemera Fever (BEF) is commonly known as Three Day Sickness.
Whilst three day sickness is relatively common on the coast, frequently occurring in late summer or autumn, we have had very little virus transmission during the previous two to three years of drought. Producers should be prepared that any cattle born on or introduced to the coast particularly after autumn 2017 (last period of BEF transmission) could be affected by three day sickness until mosquitos disappear with cold
weather.
Cattle older than about four years, that were born on the coast, most likely have been infected before and probably have good immunity.
BEF causes a short but significant fever, drooling, shivering, a discharge from eyes and nose, lameness and muscular soreness. Animals may become recumbent for a day or two. For the most part, BEF is a mild transient illness hence the name ‘three day sickness’. But some animals can be more significantly affected and cattle deaths can result. Thus the disease and the
need to manage cases shouldn’t be underestimated.
In particular heavy animals such as bulls and big cows may be most severely affected. A transient infertility in bulls can occur and a small proportion of pregnant cows can abort, presumably from the high fever.
To find out more about caring for stock affected by BEF please watch Dr Stone’s video ‘Managing Bovine Ephemeral Fever’, contact your private veterinarian or Local Land Services vets on 1300 795 299.
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Arboviral infection of ruminants characterized by stiffness and decreased milk production.
Also called as 3 day Fever/3 day stiffness
Cattle Dengue.
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