Rabies is a viral disease that is spread most often from the bite of a rabid animal to another animal or to a human. Encephalitis or meningoencephalitis in adult ruminants is the most frequently recognizsd form. Diagnosis is by skin biopsy with fluorescent antibody or polymerase chain reaction testing. Listeriosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes.It is a zoonotic disease. Rabies is a fatal disease of the nervous system that can infect any warm blooded animal. no lab confirmation was done. The disease is commonly transmitted from dogs (95 per cent of cases) to cows, sheep, goats, pig, rabbits and horses. Typical symptoms include difficulty swallowing, excessive salivating, abnormal behavior, lethargy and lying down, tremors and other neurological symptoms, and paralysis. During the incubation period of the disease, the virus moves towards the brain through nervous system. Symptoms. rabies management in livestock and horses; for information on rabies management in humans or pets, please contact the Oklahoma State Department of Health at (405) 271-4060. Symptoms of Rabies in Cows. Brangus cow with a red ear tag in the foreground with a crossbred calf in the background. Rabies is among deadly animal diseases that is shared with human beings. There may also be aggressive wool pulling and excessive bleating. Symptoms of rabies in cattle are often mistaken for other problem. The rabies virus affects the central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord of humans and animals. Rabies is a viral encephalitis transmitted by the saliva of infected bats and certain other infected mammals. Symptoms of Rabies in Farm Animals. In addition, horses must be vaccinated for rabies before being transported out-of-state. Rabies is transmitted by saliva and can infect animals in close proximity. Rabies. Symptoms of rabies in cattle vary considerably. Texas officials warn a Brangus heifer at a San Antonio rodeo was infected with rabies. a videograph of a cow showing syptoms most probably of rabies. There is a high incidence of intestinal carriers. The area is endemic to rabies and there was similar cases with history of rabid dog bite. Sheep: Clinical signs of sheep are very similar to cattle infected with rabies. Horses, cattle and sheep that have frequent contact with humans; Livestock that are particularly valuable; Animals used for raw milk or raw milk product production. Symptoms include depression and fever, followed by agitation, excessive salivation, and hydrophobia. Since cows can get rabies, it is of the utmost importance to have an understanding of how the disease manifests so as to provide relevant and timely treatment. Initial signs of the disease may be quite mild with cattle appearing depressed, not eating and isolating themselves. Rabies is indicated by a change in normal behaviour as well as disorientation. Cause. As the disease progresses function of some body parts decreases. The form of rabies that an individual animal expresses depends upon the portions of the central nervous system most significantly affected by the disease. During the incubation period, which is the time between exposure to the virus and the appearance of symptoms, the virus travels along nerves towards the brain. Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system.It’s found only in mammals. The slobbering, aggressive cow is only one way that the disease presents.