July 5, 2006

US researchers developing cattle-monitoring system for disease

Researchers at Kansas State University (KSU) are working on a cattle-monitoring system that would not only protect the health of the cattle but also serve to maximise beef quality.

The project aims to increase meat quality by minimising disease impact and early disease detection, said Steve Warren, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at KSU.

The system could detect animal diseases such as pneumonia, mad cow disease, bacterial infections, and respiratory tract diseases early.

Animal sickness normally takes days to develop before the rancher takes notice, Erickson said, giving enough time for an epidemic to occur before a veterinarian could be called.

Through monitoring, diseases can be detected earlier and there would be fewer animals to treat, he explained.

Besides disease monitoring, producers can also used the system to determine the effect of weather on animal behavior and the types of food the animals eat. Such information helps improve management standards and thus improves beef quality.

This project is part of a study that began in 2003 called "Information Technology Research: An Infrastructure for Veterinary Telemedicine - Proactive Herd Health Management for Disease Prevention from Farm to Market."