Agricultural Science (AS)·Animal science · NSSCAS 4.5
Animal diseases: anthrax, FMD & disease control
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A Namibian farmer walks out at dawn and finds a strong, healthy ox lying dead in the kraal, with no wound and no warning. In another year, the whole country is suddenly blocked from selling a single kilogram of beef to Europe because of blisters on a few animals' feet. Both disasters are caused by tiny living dangers we cannot even see. In this lesson we follow the life-cycle of the anthrax bacterium, watch how the foot-and-mouth virus attacks, compare a bacterium with a virus, and see how Namibia's red line and vaccination keep our herds and our beef trade alive.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCAS Agricultural Science (AS) 4.5):
- Explain the life-cycle of the bacterium that causes anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), including spore formation and the survival of spores in soil
- Describe how grazing animals pick up anthrax spores, and how the bacteria germinate, multiply and produce toxins inside the host
- Explain why the carcass of an anthrax victim releases new spores, and why a suspect carcass must never be opened
- Explain how the virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) infects and replicates inside host cells, and how it spreads
- Describe the symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease in cloven-hoofed animals
- Compare and contrast a bacterial disease with a viral disease in terms of structure, reproduction, treatment and control
- Explain why antibiotics kill bacteria but have no effect on viruses
- Explain how anthrax and FMD are controlled in Namibia, including the role of the veterinary cordon fence (red line), FMD-free zones, compulsory vaccination and movement control
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