Ringworm Vaccine for Cattle

Ringworm, despite the name, is not a worm at all. It is a fungal infection that lives in the skin and is one of the most common cattle skin diseases, according to the National Animal Disease Information Service.

  1. Why Vaccinate?

    • Being a fungal infection, it's possible for ringworm to spread from cow to human. In situations such as farms where humans and cows have a lot of contact, vaccinating the cows will help minimize the contamination.

    Signs of Ringworm

    • As the name suggests, ringworm appears as a circular ring of raised skin. These rings can vary in size and can be found around the eyes, ears and back of calves, and on the cheek and legs of adult cattle.

    Treatments

    • Ringworm can heal on its own, but healing can take as long as nine months. A spray treatment is available and effective, but is quite costly. The vaccine Bovilis® Ringvac can help to minimize the outbreak and reduce the ultimate cost for treatment.

    Prevention/Solution

    • To prevent the reinfection of the cattle, complete disinfection and cleaning of the animals' living quarters, grooming materials and feeding utensils is recommended.

    Outbreak

    • Winter is the usual time of outbreaks, as the cattle are housed for the season. Calves are usually the first to develop the infection, and a large calf infection can easily spread to the adult cattle.