7000 buffalo and cows frozen to death in Vietnam

A healthy water buffalo in Thailand, 2005 / Da

Record low temperatures in Vietnam have frozen over 7,000 buffalo and cows to death in northern provinces this year, reports Deputy Head of Livestock Breeding Department on Friday.

The Cao Bang province reported 700 deaths in one day, and 1800 deaths throughout the winter in the one province alone.

Northern Vietnam is expected to face a fresh cold snap starting Saturday.

On Friday, 200 cows were found dead in a Wisconsin field. Samples are currently being examined to determine the cause of the sudden deaths.

Dead cows in Wisconsin

200 dead cows were discovered an a farm near Stockton, Wisconsin on Friday. According to the local Sheriff's Dept., the cows suffered from IBR - infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, a highly contagious cow disease.

As Whitley's Place points out, this is the first case of larger animals being affected by the phenomenon of sudden, mass animal deaths.

Beef and dairy farmers usually vaccinate their cows against IBR. What happened in this case is still unclear. According to the Dept. of Animal Sciences, IBR can persist in clinically recovered animals for years, and remain inactive until the animal is placed under stress. The Department's website about the virus also claims that there is no definitive clinical diagnosis for IBR. Apparently this has not prevented authorities from promptly announcing the cause.