Nematodirus Diagnoses and Risk

_{A cold spring increases the risk of death from Nematodirus in lambs.}

Further to our previous post on Nematodirus, our first post mortem diagnoses of Nematodirus infection causing death in lambs were made at the end of last week at our Dumfries Surveillance Centre.

The SCOPS Nematodirus forecast for South West Scotland and North West England is currently variable between moderate and very high risk.

There is clearly significant local variation, but some pastures will potentially be lethal just now and farmers should consider the risk.

A cold spring delays the hatching of Nematodirus battus eggs to a time when large numbers of lambs fall into the highest risk age group of six to twelve weeks old.

Farmers should be advised to investigate outbreaks of scour as soon as they arise. Diagnosis can be complicated by concurrent high coccidial oocyst counts (whether from high or low pathogenic species), and the fact that clinical signs can arise in the pre-patent period.

Posted by SRUC Veterinary Services on 01/06/2021