Veterinary Services

• Lead poisoning cases in cattle following turnout
• Review of the causes of ovine abortion during 2008
• Increased incidents of Nematodirus battus infection in lambs. This followed a warning to flock owners of high risk factors
• Pulpy kidney disease, lamb dysentery and black disease cases confirmed in unvaccinated flocks
•  Pigeon paramyxovirus 1 causes mortality in racing pigeons
• Equine herpes virus 1 responsible for abortions and neonatal mortality in a horse stud

DISEASE ALERTS

The following diseases featured in the SAC VS report for August 2007. Farmers and veterinary surgeons should be aware that these could also be important this year, given similar climatic conditions.

Cattle:
• Increased incidence of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). Bluetongue should be excluded from the differential diagnosis.
• Outbreaks of clinical lungworm infections.

Sheep:
• Parasitic gastroenteritis in lambs.
• Deficiencies of copper, cobalt and selenium in growing lambs.

Game birds:
• Mixed intestinal infections with coccidia and spironucleus (Hexamita).

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

“Dry, warm and sunny” described the weather in Scotland in May. Total rainfall of 29.6 mm represented 34 per cent of the 30 year average while hours of sunshine totalled 128 per cent of that same average. The mean temperature was 2.2 degrees Celsius above average. A major new project to join up research on animal health and welfare science was unveiled in May. The “Emerging and Major Infectious Diseases of Livestock” project brings together the European Commission, UK and Scottish Governments. Meanwhile SAC VS issued a warning to sheep flock owners that nematodirosis could be a particular problem for lambs this month.