Face Flies Impacting Pastured Cattle
Patrick Wagner, Adele Harty, Adam Varenhorst, Amanda Bachmann, and Philip Rozeboom
iGrow
In South Dakota, the number of pinkeye cases in cattle herds has been relatively high this year. Pinkeye is a disease that occurs when the bacterial agent Moraxella bovis adheres to the surface of an animal’s eye. M. bovis gains entry when the eye becomes irritated by a variety of different sources, such as dust, tall grass, fomites, and flies. Face flies (Musca autumnalis) are one of the key contributors of pinkeye transmission in cattle.
The Beef Blog 