Pre-tupping vaccination key to preventing Losses

摘要

Analysis of blood samples has revealed insidious infectious disease, such as toxoplasmosis, was a significant cause of barrenness or abortion in ewes earlier this year.Samples from 375 UK flocks were tested when the subsidised FlockCheck diagnostic service was made available to vets from February to June this year.The results show 66.4 of units had one or more ewes testing positive for the parasite Toxoplasma gondii,which causes toxoplasmosis.Kat Baxter-Smith of MSD Animal Health says: “The continued high national level of exposure of UK sheep to Toxoplasma gondii highlights the importance of vaccinating ewes in this country against this productivity damaging parasite.