DEPARTMENT of Primary Industries (DPI) experts are no closer to identifying the cause of a mysterious syndrome that has killed thousands of cattle in the western Riverina.
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Drooling and diarrhoea (3D) syndrome has been blamed for cattle deaths as early as 2006, but ongoing investigations have hit a roadblock.
The DPI held an information session with farmers in the Hay region to discuss the issue after 3D syndrome struck again in the past 18 months.
There was also an outbreak of the disease in 2009.
The DPI says the dry conditions currently being experienced by landholders could lead to another outbreak and farmers are being urged to be on alert.
If farmers see cattle with signs of 3D syndrome they are asked to immediately contact a district veterinarian so testing can be undertaken.
Mossgiel farmer Terry Huntly went to the Local Land Service (LLS) forum, attended by about 15 graziers, last week.
Mr Huntly lost 64 cattle from 3D syndrome last year and closer to 100 in 2009.
He said experts remained at a loss to explain what was causing the cattle deaths.
"Nothing's really changed - and it hasn't changed since 2006," Mr Huntly said.
"They still don't know (what's causing the outbreaks)."
The syndrome's symptoms include cattle being "off their feed", prefer to lie down, noisy breathing, drooling, diarrhoea and they usually die anywhere from one to five days after first becoming sick.
Mr Huntly had his own theories on what was causing the virus-like syndrome.
He said it could be an insect causing it or the deadly calicivirus that is associated with rabbits.
However, he said DPI scientists had previously dismissed the theory.
"There has been a lot of rabbits die around the same time, which made me think it could've been the calicivirus," he said.
Any farmers who notice their cattle looking sick and displaying signs of 3D syndrome are urged to immediately contact a DPI official so testing can be carried out.
