Fact Sheet Written by:
Hilary M. Sullivan Extension Dairy Specialist
And Provided by:
New Mexico State University http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs
Hairy foot warts were first reported in the United States more than 23 years ago and have since spread rapidly, becoming a major management concern for dairy producers both in the U.S. and in other parts of the world (Shearer, 1998). Between 1991 and 1994, the frequency of infection on California dairies increased from 31% to 89% (Read and Walker, 1991). In addition to being extremely contagious, hairy foot warts are also a very expensive problem. It is estimated that hairy foot warts cause 20% of all dairy lameness cases, with each incidence of lameness costing $90 to $130 (Shearer, 2000). In addition to milk loss, which ranges from 20 to 50% in affected cows, hairy foot warts often lead to reproductive problems and premature cow culling. A study of cows sent to U.S. slaughterhouses revealed that nearly 30% of cows tested had hairy foot warts on the left hind hoof (Brown, Kilgo et al., 2000).
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