Emergency Animal Disease Bulletin: Infectious bursal disease

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) or Gumboro is a viral disease affecting the immune system of young chickens. Present worldwide, the disease is highly contagious in young birds and destroys lymphoid organs, specifically the bursa of Fabricius. Symptoms include depression, watery diarrhoea, ruffled feathers and dehydration. Presentation of clinical signs depends on the strain of the […]

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Current thinking on common equine endocrine disorders

Introduction Endocrine dysfunction associated with obesity is a daily challenge in equine ambulatory practice and obesity-related laminitis poses a significant threat to equine welfare in Australia (Figure 1). A recent pony club survey in Victoria found that 15% of horses and ponies had suffered from at least one episode of laminitis and more than half […]

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Emergency Animal Disease Bulletin: African horse sickness

Authors: Alice Kermond, Jenny Baird and Sally Thomson (Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment)   African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a highly pathogenic arbovirus with the potential to cause severe, often fatal, circulatory, and respiratory disease in horses. It is a nationally notifiable disease that is exotic to Australia. Historically the spread of African […]

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