Veterinary Services

• Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus isolated from whooper swan submitted from Fife
• Severe pneumonia due to IBR in a dairy herd
• Traumatic reticulitis in dairy cattle
• Metabolic disease associated with severe weather in sheep
• First recorded case of Haemonchosis in Orkney
• First recorded cases of Nematodirus infections in growing lambs for the year

Examination and sampling of a whooper swan collected at Cellardyke in Fife on 30th March 2006 as part of routine wild bird surveillance confirmed Scotland’s first diagnosed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (Asian H5N1) infection.

Earlier in the month SEERAD imposed movement restrictions at a poultry farm on mainland Orkney after a high mortality rate was reported. Final results from samples taken from dead chickens on the farm indicated no presence of avian influenza or Newcastle dDisease.

Severe weather with heavy snow caused significant problems for hill farmers with sheep approaching lambing, resulting in reduced body condition score and metabolic disease.

As the main spring suckler calving season approached an increased number of late pregnancy abortion and still birth submissions were received.

Weather Report

The weather at the start of the month was dominated by cold snowy conditions in the North of Scotland with night-time temperatures falling to -16 °C at Altnaharra.

In the middle of the month heavy snow falls accompanied by strong winds were experienced across Scotland with the worst affected area being the South West with 22 cm of snow recorded in Glasgow.

In general temperatures were below average for the month, with rainfall slightly above average.