Sheep scab, or psoroptic mange, is caused by infestation of the skin surface with the scab mite, Psoroptes ovis. The mite can survive off-host for 16–19 days, and sources of infestation include...
Hypocalcaemia is usually seen in late gestation. As with ovine pregnancy toxaemia, it tends to occur in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. Parturient paresis, caused by hypocalcaemia, is rare in sheep but...
There are two broad strategies that a host may use to manage the impacts of infection. The first, and more familiar, is resistance, which is the ability of the host to prevent infection or reduce...
Examination of each ram should be carried out and the findings should be recorded. The Sheep Vet Society (SVS) provides a useful template ‘Pre-breeding examination on farm data collection form’ (SVS...
The liver fluke life cycle takes around 20 weeks to complete and requires a snail intermediate host (Figure 1). Mature flukes (Figure 2) reside in the liver of the definitive host. Fluke eggs are...
Personal protective equipment is required; typically consisting of disinfectable wellington boots (with the option of steel toe capped variants available), waterproof trousers and top (the author...
BVD virus is in the Flaviviridae family. There are two genotypes, BVD 1 and 2. BVD 1 occurs in the UK, and there are two biotypes: cytopathic and non-cytopathic. Most persistently infected calves have...
The decision to vaccinate sheep is primarily motivated by animal welfare and the wish to optimise health by giving sheep the best chance to be free from avoidable disease. If optimum protection from...
Approximately 40% of people infected with C. burnetii will develop symptoms of acute Q fever, of which the majority will present as a non-specific, self-limiting illness (Raoult et al, 2005). In more...
In their publication (Statham et al, 2022), livestock vaccines are categorised by sector (dairy, beef or sheep) and into NOAH category one or NOAH category two. Category one vaccinations are viewed as...
The field of diagnostics, like many others, is fast evolving and many exciting new technologies have arisen in the last few years, which will help to overcome some of the challenges within small...
