Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis, sometimes called yellow bag or yellow fever, is an infectious parasitic disease of cattle that is now recognized in at least 40 states.  It is caused by the parasite Anaplasma marginale, which infects red blood cells. The parasite is spread primarily by ticks and other blood-sucking insects, including horn flies, horse flies and mosquitoes.

Keeping with the pattern of the parasites that spread anaplasmosis, most new cases of anaplasmosis are seen in late spring and early summer. However, disease transmission has been recorded in cattle under desert mountain range conditions every month of the year. 

Specialists urge producers to suspect anaplasmosis when animals are anemic, regardless of the season.  Other symptoms include:

• Weakness
• Fever
• Depression
• Constipation
• Decreased milk production
• Jaundice
• Abortion
• Death in some cases.

The incubation period for anaplasmosis can range from 2 weeks to over 3 months, but 3 to 4 weeks is typical. Adult cattle are more susceptible to infection than calves. In fact, anaplasmosis is generally mild in calves under 1 year of age, rarely fatal in cattle up to 2 years of age, sometimes fatal in animals up to 3 years of age, and often fatal in older cattle.

Once animals recover from infection, either naturally or with antibiotics, they usually remain carriers of the disease for life, showing no symptoms but quietly infecting other animals.

For more about anaplasmosis and its control, click on the links below.

• Protecting your investment - beef (PDF)
• Protecting your investment - dairy (PDF)
• Brochure: Aureomycin+Bovatec: Formula for success (PDF or HTML)
• Brochure: Aureomycin/Aureo S 700 quality (PDF)
• Aureomycin for anaplasmosis control (PDF or HTML)
• Effects of Aureo S 700 and Aureomycin in reducing lung lesions (PDF or HTML)
• Aureomycin for anaplasmosis control (PDF or HTML)

• Aureomycin® + Bovatec®

  Now get BRD and coccidiosis protection in the same feed.
  (read more)

• Aureomycin®

  Time-tested control of BRD and anaplasmosis, plus better feed/gain.
  (read more)

• Aureo S 700®

  The sensible, broad-spectrum choice for tough enteric and respiratory disease challenges in calves.
  (read more)

• Bovatec®

  Proven safe, palatable and the only ionophore you can feed starting at birth.
  (read more)

• Deccox®

  Works directly in the small intestine to stop the top causes of coccidiosis.
  (read more)

• Natural supplements

  Alphamune® and Beta Mos™ help improve intestinal health so cattle can more easily fight disease. .
  (read more)

• Teat dips

  Kenostart® and Kenocidin® - two trusted options to protect cows from mastitis.
  (read more)

• Water solubles

  Fast-acting, water-soluble antibiotics to get a sick animals back on their feet.
  (read more)