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Sheep

    Iceberg Disease Case Study, The Mitchell Family

    The Mitchell family farm approximately 1050 acres across Whitriggs and Denholm Hill farms. This family run business acted as the Borders Monitor Farm for QMS Scotland from 2016-19. Prior to becoming a monitor farm, the family had little knowledge of iceberg diseases. In 2016, at the start of the project the farm had 1000 Llyen ewes which had been a closed flock since 2001.

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    A ewe standing in front a barbed wire fence
    A ewe standing in front a barbed wire fence

    Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma

    Often referred to as “Jaagsiekte” it is caused by a retrovirus. This virus infects the lungs of sheep, causing tumours to develop and fluid to accumulate within the airways.

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    3 lambs grazing
    3 lambs grazing

    Maedi Visna

    MV is caused by a retrovirus and is capable of having devastating effects on a flock, significantly reducing fertility and productivity. MV is a chronic wasting disorder, which is increasing in prevalence across UK flocks (recently doubling from 1.4-2.8%).

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    Texel sheep with CLA infection. Image from NADIS
    Texel sheep with CLA infection. Image from NADIS

    Caseous Lymphadenitis

    Caseous Lymphadenitis (CLA) was first detected in UK sheep during 1987 following the importation of infected goats from Germany. Caused by the bacterium “Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis” this is a chronic disease often characterised by the formation of abscesses within the lymph nodes and/or internal organs of infected animals.

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    Lamb grazing
    Lamb grazing

    Border Disease

    Often referred to as “hairy shaker disease”, Border Disease is caused by a pestivirus very similar to the one which causes Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in cattle.  Border Disease has the ability to increase the proportion of barren ewes within a flock by 2-8% per year, with infected lambs growing on average 20% slower than uninfected lambs throughout the first six weeks of life.  

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