(Continued from page 4)

Q. Is there any vaccine for EHD in cattle?
A. No.

Q. What is the outcome for affected cattle?
A. Reports from veterinarians are generally encouraging. Most of the affected cattle have recovered, with some taking longer to recover than others. There are very few reports of cows that are permanently affected. Deaths in cattle due to EHD have been confirmed by the SDSU Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ADRDL), but these death losses are considered very uncommon overall.

Q. Does EHD have a breed or age preference in cattle?
A. One breed of cattle does not seem to be affected more than others. The majority of the cases have been in beef herds, but at least one Holstein herd has been affected. Cows are most commonly affected, but there has been at least one report of an affected bull. Affected cows tend to be somewhat older than the herd average. Only a few calves have been reported by producers or veterinarians as suspect EHD cases; these calves have evidence of exposure to EHD, but the virus has not been demonstrated in the body. 

Q. How do cattle get this disease?
A. EHD is a virus exclusively spread by biting flies of the Culicoides family, more commonly known as biting midges, sand gnats, sand flies, or no-see-ums. The virus

(Continued on page 6)