Farmers are being urged to vigilant after a three isolated cases of a rare and fatal cattle disease in Dorset called malignant catarrhal fever (MCF).
Confirmed cases were announced by Synergy Farm Health in three different farms in East Devon and West Dorset.
The disease affects individual cattle, is unusually fatal for the cow and is caused by a sheep herpes virus which in turn does not affect the sheep.
Not a lot is known regarding how the cattle pick the virus up, but there is usually a history of contact with either deer or sheep around lambing.
"The only known risk factor for MCF is being around sheep and in each of the three cases the common link was cattle grazing in a field that had previously grazed sheep," said veterinarian Alasdair Moffett.
"Risks can also increase around lambing time. This disease is caused by a sheep herpes virus and is usually fatal for the unfortunate cow but does not cause any disease in sheep.
"I have only seen two other cases of this condition in the last eight years so it is a surprise to find three cases in one month so close together."
All three cases showed high temperatures in the cattle, lack of appetite and painful red eyes which develop a blueish colour.
All of the three animals either died or were put down, according to Synergy Farm Health.
"We can blood test live animals to confirm this disease as some of the symptoms could also look like BVD, severe IBR or listeria," said Moffett.
"Once confirmed, we would put the animal down on welfare grounds as there is little likelihood of survival."
