CATTLE farmers in the Coonamble district are being urged to be on the lookout for signs of discomfort and depression among their stock following the confirmation of a case of Bovine Ephemeral Fever (BEF) in the area.

According to Central West Local Land Services (LLS) BEF, also known as 'Three-Day Sickness', is a significant disease carried by biting insects and is most likely to appear during or after a wet summer, which has been the case over the past few months.

Central West LLS district vet Jillian Kelly said the typical symptoms of BEF are a fever, inappetence, depression and a reluctance to move.

"Typically affected animals recover in a few days (hence the name, Three Day Sickness), however some animals (particularly heavy animals such as bulls and cows) can take longer to get up and in some severe cases can die," Dr Kelly said.

"The risk to these big, heavy animals is that once they go down, they may not get up again.

"With the high price of stock, and the focus on herd rebuilding, producers will be looking for ways to prevent this disease, ease symptoms and minimise losses."

For now, the disease does not appear to have become widespread in the area. Angus Chadwick from the Coonamble Feedlot said he was pleased there hadn't been any cases in the feedlot, although he acknowledged the risk to heavier animals like the ones they house.

"The heavier bulls and cows are definitely more at risk and at the feedlot, the animals usually end up the similar in size so are equally at risk” Mr Chadwick said.

"A lot of the cattle we feed in the feedlot are backgrounded first and will go into a paddock first to acclimatise to the area and socialise with other cattle. When they’re drafted on farm for feedlot induction, unhealthy animals are rejected and treated on farm."

Animal husbandry is the number one priority at the feedlot with Pen Riders inspecting the health of every beast each morning. Prevention is always better than treatment though if treatment must occur, early detection is critical. 

According to Dr Kelly, while there is a vaccine for BEF on the market, it is too late now to offer full immunity to cattle in the area.

"(Contracting BEF) can be very difficult to prevent but something I recommend is insect prevention, using a combination of backline products, insecticidal ear tags and providing slashed areas where cattle can escape the long grass," she said.

"I don't think it's fool-proof but it might help and might make the cattle feel more comfortable."

Once animals are affected by BEF, anti-inflammatory medications and four-in-one flowpacks are useful in treating the symptoms and can help in a speedier recovery and ensuring they are well fed and kept hydrated while down was essential.

Dr Kelly said the most important measure is for farmers to check their stock every day and, if they see any clinical signs, to get in touch with the local private vet clinic, which identified the original case in Coonamble early last week.

"They do such a great job and we're really lucky to have them here," she said. "(Infected cattle) need to be treated early for the best success of recovery."

Mr Chadwick said the shorter symptomatic period of the disease might result in more difficult detection when checking stock every day is not always possible, however he agreed it was important to minimise impacts as fast as possible due to how severe it could be once present in a group, especially of heavier stock.