Infectious animal disease issues after a flood

The immediate issues for livestock during and following floods often relate to trauma and exposure injury. However, other significant impacts on livestock can arise from infectious disease.

Clostridial (mainly blackleg) and leptospiral (lepto) infections represent a risk after flooding.

Botulism is a progressive paralysis from the ingestion of a toxin found in rotting animal material or on the bones of dead animals.

Prolonged wetness of wool can also lead to skin infections, the most common of which is lumpy wool in sheep.

This guide discusses some of the major infectious diseases that can arise after a flood, and what you can do to minimise the risks to your livestock and business.