Facial eczema

Facial eczema (FE) is a disease that causes liver damage, lowered production, skin irritation and peeling, and sometimes death.

Facial eczema is caused by a toxin (sporidesmin) produced by the spores of the fungus Pithomyces chartarum growing on pasture. The fungus grows in the dead litter at the base of pasture in warm moist conditions.

Sporidesmin, when ingested by cattle, damages the liver and bile ducts. The damaged liver cannot get rid of a breakdown product of chlorophyll that builds up in the blood causing sensitivity to sunlight, which in turn causes inflammation of the skin.

The fungus produces spores when grass minimum temperatures are above 12°C for two or three nights and humidity is high (usually January to May).

The fungus grows on soft litter at the base of the pasture so hard grazing during danger periods increases the risk of spore intake. Pasture management, which increases the build-up of soft litter, is a likely contributor to increased FE risk.

What to look for

• a drop in milk production
• cows are restless, seeking shade and licking their udder
• exposed unpigmented or thin skin reddens, thickens, and peels

Not all animals affected with FE show physical signs (i.e. clinical FE) although liver damage (i.e. subclinical FE) may have occurred. It is estimated that for every clinical case, there will be 10 cows with subclinical FE.

Milk production of animals with subclinical FE can be depressed by up to 50%. Blood tests can be used to monitor the extent of subclinical FE.

Badly damaged liver tissue will not regenerate. Chronic wasting and/or death may occur at the time of damage or months later when the animal is under stress (e.g. calving).

Prevention

There is no cure for FE so prevention is the only way of protecting animals. To be effective, preventative measures need to be in place before eczema spores are found.

Preventative measures include monitoring pasture spore count and either dosing animals with zinc or spraying pastures with a fungicide.

Treatment

Cows showing clinical signs of facial eczema can recover if prompt action is taken:

• Dry off affected cows now, to reduce pressure on the liver.
• Put zinc cream on white areas of the coat and the udder (if affected).
• Move affected stock into dense shade. Indoors is best (hay-barn, calf-rearing and implement sheds) but make sure there is a good water supply and supplementary feed available for cows
• Feed cows at night, so they are not exposed to sunlight and stop hard grazing so cows do not graze down into dead matter where the spores that cause FE live.
• Feeding maize and/or silage can help, but cows will still tend to graze if they are kept on pasture.
• Make sure the diet is balanced, with good levels of energy and protein.

In addition to the above, for very sick cows:

• Use a starter drench to boost metabolic function.
• Use vitamin B12 supplementation.
• Seek veterinary advice regarding additional pain relief treatment.

Practical indicators of recovery include liveweight gain and improvement in body condition score (BCS). Be aware that animals can take up to 12 months to fully recover. Animals with a previous history of clinical FE have a lower chance of recovery than previously unaffected animals.

When making decisions to cull cows act early before body condition score and the severity of the condition cause unnecessary distress and suffering. If sending cows for processing farmers need to be aware that animals will not be accepted if emaciated or with severe skin damage (sores, weeping wounds etc.).

FE tolerant genetics

Breeding cows that are more tolerant to facial eczema is a longer term solution to reduce the impact from facial eczema. Facial eczema tolerance is a heritable trait and the right breeding programme can reduce the severity of the disease over time.

Through the Resilient Dairy Programme, LIC has developed the facial eczema (FE) breeding value to enable farmers to breed cows that are more resistant to the disease. The research aims to enhance the health and wellbeing of the national dairy herd through cutting-edge disease management technologies and genomic advancements.

Cows resulting from FE tolerant sires will typically have:

• Improved tolerance to FE spores
• Improved production

For a herd starting a breeding programme with FE tolerant sires, the first benefits (FE tolerance in young stock) are not available for 18 months after first insemination. Gains in FE tolerance will be made as each generation of daughters from FE sires enters the herd. A full herd with FE tolerance is achievable in 7-8 years. If you’re in a high-FE challenge area, talk to your breeding company for more information.

Monitoring pasture spores

Pasture spore counting is an excellent way to visualise spore count trends and to get a handle on the likely risk.

Zinc dosing

Start early – at least two to three weeks before the spore growth danger period. Weigh a representative sample of at least 20 cows of each of the mobs to be treated to calculate the dose of zinc required.

Fully dose cows with zinc: drenching with zinc oxide, water dosing with zinc sulphate, administering in feed or as an intraruminal bolus (e.g. Time Capsule, Face-Guard). Zinc is toxic in high doses; care should be taken in calculating dose rates.

The more control a farmer has over the amount of zinc a cow receives the more likely it is that the cows are receiving the correct daily dose. Zinc drenching and intraruminal bolus will, for this reason, provide more reliable protection than adding zinc sulphate to drinking water.

You can check your management programme is working by blood testing 10 cows for zinc and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)levels (which indicates liver damage) three weeks after zinc dosing starts. Since 2022, Fonterra suppliers have had the additional option of using ZincCheck - a bulk milk test to indicate whether the majority of the herd have reached the zinc serum level needed for protection from FE.

Pasture spraying

Spraying the pasture with a fungicide will slow the development of the fungus and subsequent production of spores.

Apply only when pasture has confirmed spore counts below 20,000 and is green and growing.

Spraying should cover all areas including fence lines and under hedges. Check spore counts after spraying and before grazing, to ensure pastures are below acceptable levels. Pasture will be safe for 4-6 weeks after which they will need to be resprayed or monitored with spore counting.

Minimise the build-up of soft litter by avoiding topping and managing pasture quality in November/December. Avoid grazing below 4cm pasture height during summer months; use supplements to reduce grazing pressure.

Eliminating facial eczema impacts programme

To respond to the growing challenge of Facial Eczema (FE), DairyNZ is supporting the $20M Eliminating Facial Eczema Impact (EFEI) project, led by Beef+Lamb NZ, with co-funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other sector partners. This cross-sector project is working on new tools and solutions intending to eliminate FE from New Zealand livestock altogether. If successful, it will achieve a world first.