Extensive rain and flooding in the eastern states of Australia over the past few months will result in large populations of mosquitoes. This will increase the chance that sheep and goats become affected by the disease Eperythrozoonosis (commonly called “Epi”). This is caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma ovis and can be spread by mosquitoes. The bacteria attach to red blood cells and cause them to rupture.
The signs of Epi appear the same as barber’s pole worm: anaemia and death, but your response should be very different.
Read the article by Deb Maxwell, September 2016