Pinkeye is a painful bacterial eye disease in cattle causing temporary or permanent blindness that is widespread in grazing herds and largely preventable with prompt management.
Pinkeye causes acute and intense ocular pain that affects virtually all aspects of affected cattle welfare. The photosensitivity of inflamed eyes causes cattle to seek shade and reduce grazing, affecting nutritional intake. Corneal ulceration is acutely painful — equivalent to a severe eye injury in humans. Without treatment, progressive corneal damage can result in permanent vision loss, a significant long-term welfare impairment. The disease is highly amenable to early treatment, making prompt detection by attentive stockpeople one of the most important welfare interventions. Fly control that reduces transmission vectors prevents the conditions that allow disease to spread through grazing herds.