Fifty‐three of a mixed flock of 180 one‐year‐old lambs (hoggs) and older, barren ewes (ewes that were non‐pregnant or had not lambed that spring) died in May 2019 following introduction to 30 acres of unimproved hill pasture. The flock was moved onto this pasture in early May, and clinical signs and deaths were observed 14 days later. Clinical signs included dyspnoea, lethargy, and sternal and lateral recumbency; the majority were found dead. The flock was removed from the hill the day after the first deaths were discovered. Deaths continued for a further 14 days until a total of 53 animals had died. Three hoggs were submitted for postmortem examination to the Wales Veterinary Science Centre. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causal organism of tickborne fever, was detected by PCR testing. Coinfection with louping ill virus was also suspected and later confirmed. The laboratory findings are described, and the risk of these diseases to grazing sheep in upland areas is discussed, as well as the measures being taken to reduce the risk of infection.

Eighteen lamb deaths were recorded in a group of 250 ewes and lambs, following turnout onto newly rented upland pasture, in the spring of 2016. Three lambs were presented for postmortem examination and found to have heavy tick infestations. Some of the lesions found grossly at postmortem examination were similar to those described in a single lamb investigated by the Wales Veterinary Science Centre at Aberystwyth during the spring of 2015, from a different farm. Gross lesions identified in these three lambs included splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pneumonia, fibrinous pericarditis, pleurisy, peritonitis and meningitis. Laboratory findings included positive PCR results for Anaplasma phagocytophilum , the causal organism of tick‐borne fever (TBF), in all three lambs, and secondary bacterial infections. This report describes a range of lesions, some of which are different to those commonly associated with TBF infection. The pathogenesis and means of diagnosis are also discussed.

WE wish to report the findings of a postmortem examination carried out by the Wales Veterinary Science Centre (WVSC) at Aberystwyth. Lamb deaths began to occur, at a rate of one per day over a two-week period, in a 300-ewe flock grazing mountain pasture. A postmortem examination carried out at the local veterinary practice revealed a focal 3 cm diameter swelling on the spleen, and a lymphadenopathy affecting particularly the mesenteric lymph nodes. A test for clostridial toxins in small intestinal contents gave a negative result. A second lamb was then submitted to the WVSC. This was a well grown, five-week-old Welsh mountain lamb, which was found dead with no prior clinical signs. Postmortem findings included a spleen that was approximately three times the normal size, with fibrin tags attached to the splenic capsule. All lymph nodes were grossly enlarged, oedematous, and dark purple in colour, particularly the mediastinal and bronchial lymph nodes. The lungs were uniformly dark pink in colour and had a firm rubbery texture. Bacteriological examination of mediastinal lymph node and spleen produced a profuse pure growth of Bibersteinia trehalosi.....

DRENCHING gun injuries are well recognised in sheep and have been clearly shown to pose a threat to the health and welfare of sheep in the UK (Harwood and Hepple 2011). In cattle, liver fluke infection is associated with the widespread use of anthelmintic products to reduce the impact of infection on production, particularly in dairy cattle (Howell and others 2015). We wish to report on three cases of dosing gun injury, with fatal outcome, for three dairy farms where cattle were treated for liver fluke. On the first farm, three cows in a 130-cow dairy herd had died in a week, with the first two to die showing reduced milk yield and some coughing. One of these was examined at the knacker's yard and had a large amount of blood in its ‘stomach’. Coughed up blood had been noted on …

APART from several obvious reasons for failure of triclabendazole to control liver fluke infections, which can be summarised as misdosing, Fairweather (2011) suggested that reduced metabolism, as a result of liver damage, might be important. Following a serious incident of triclabendazole failure in central Wales, we would like to question how far liver damage is relevant in the diagnosis of triclabendazole resistance. On one farm, an owner treated his sheep with triclabendazole and levamisole (Combinex; Novartis …

A faecal egg count reduction test, using composite samples, was developed in order to assess the efficacy of the flukicide, triclabendazole (TCBZ) on commercial sheep farms in England and Wales. First, a comparison between individual counts and composite counts was conducted using sheep on two farms with different levels of infection. Faecal samples were collected from 50 sheep on each farm at the time of TCBZ treatment and 21 days later. The results showed that a composite fluke egg count (CFEC) was as sensitive as using individual samples, and the test was subsequently validated on an additional 18 sheep farms. The pre‐ and post‐treatment CFECs using five composite samples were subjected to bootstrap analysis. The variance in fluke egg counts of composite samples was high, but analyses indicated that 20 individual samples analysed as two composites was as sensitive as using five composites. The two‐composite assay was evaluated on another five farms. On seven out of 25 farms sampled, egg counts either did not decrease significantly or increased following treatment, suggesting TCBZ resistance on these farms. This assay represents a practical field test that can be used in the first instance to evaluate the efficacy of TCBZ on sheep farms where resistance is suspected.

We wish to inform colleagues that a faecal egg count reduction test to assess the efficacy of the flukicide triclabendazole in sheep flocks will be offered by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) and the Veterinary Parasitology Research Group, University of Liverpool. The test is a modification

An outbreak of caprine tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis was disclosed in June 2008, affecting goats of the golden Guernsey breed kept on 10 separate smallholdings in south-west Wales and the west of England. Following the initial diagnosis at postmortem examination, 30 goats that reacted positively to the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test, together with five in-contact animals, were euthanased and subjected to postmortem examination and mycobacterial culture. Spoligotyping and variable number tandem repeat analysis of isolates showed that they were all of the same genotype, endemic to south-west Wales. Retrospective movement tracings identified a goat herd in south-west Wales, by then completely dispersed, as the probable common source of infection. There was a perfect correlation between the SICCT test and culture results in all slaughtered goats. Grossly visible tubercular lesions were observed at postmortem examination in all but one reactor.

Veterinary RecordVolume 165, Issue 19 p. 575-576 Letter Metaldehyde poisoning in a dairy herd Roger Daniel, Corresponding Author Roger Daniel [email protected] VLA - Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZ[email protected]Search for more papers by this authorDavid Lewis, David Lewis Fenton Veterinary Practice 21 Portfield, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1BNSearch for more papers by this authorJo Payne, Jo Payne VLA - Sutton Bonington, College Road, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RDSearch for more papers by this author Roger Daniel, Corresponding Author Roger Daniel [email protected] VLA - Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZ[email protected]Search for more papers by this authorDavid Lewis, David Lewis Fenton Veterinary Practice 21 Portfield, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1BNSearch for more papers by this authorJo Payne, Jo Payne VLA - Sutton Bonington, College Road, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RDSearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 November 2009 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.165.19.575Citations: 8Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume165, Issue19November 2009Pages 575-576 RelatedInformation

Veterinary RecordVolume 163, Issue 4 p. 127-127 Letter TB in goats caused by Mycobacterium bovis Tim Crawshaw, Tim Crawshaw VLA Starcross, Staplake Mount, Starcross, Exeter, EX6 8PESearch for more papers by this authorRoger Daniel, Roger Daniel VLA Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this authorRichard Clifton-Hadley, Richard Clifton-Hadley VLA Weybridge, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NBSearch for more papers by this authorJane Clark, Jane Clark Veterinary Services Manager, Animal Health, Block C, Government Buildings, Whittington Road, Worcester, WR5 2LQSearch for more papers by this authorHelen Evans, Helen Evans Veterinary Officer Animal Health, Ty Merlin, Heol Glasdwr, Parc Pensarn, Carmarthen, SA31 2NJSearch for more papers by this authorSimon Rolfe, Simon Rolfe Veterinary Adviser, TB Team, Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQSearch for more papers by this authorRicardo de la Rua-Domenech, Ricardo de la Rua-Domenech Veterinary Adviser Bovine Tuberculosis Programme, DEFRA, c/o 6th floor, Millbank, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JRSearch for more papers by this author Tim Crawshaw, Tim Crawshaw VLA Starcross, Staplake Mount, Starcross, Exeter, EX6 8PESearch for more papers by this authorRoger Daniel, Roger Daniel VLA Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this authorRichard Clifton-Hadley, Richard Clifton-Hadley VLA Weybridge, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NBSearch for more papers by this authorJane Clark, Jane Clark Veterinary Services Manager, Animal Health, Block C, Government Buildings, Whittington Road, Worcester, WR5 2LQSearch for more papers by this authorHelen Evans, Helen Evans Veterinary Officer Animal Health, Ty Merlin, Heol Glasdwr, Parc Pensarn, Carmarthen, SA31 2NJSearch for more papers by this authorSimon Rolfe, Simon Rolfe Veterinary Adviser, TB Team, Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQSearch for more papers by this authorRicardo de la Rua-Domenech, Ricardo de la Rua-Domenech Veterinary Adviser Bovine Tuberculosis Programme, DEFRA, c/o 6th floor, Millbank, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JRSearch for more papers by this author First published: 26 July 2008 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.163.4.127Citations: 11Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume163, Issue4July 2008Pages 127-127 RelatedInformation

Veterinary RecordVolume 163, Issue 3 p. 96-96 Letter Malformations including hemimelia and amelia in sheep S. F. E. Scholes, S. F. E. Scholes VLA Lasswade, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZSearch for more papers by this authorR. Reichel, R. Reichel VLA Thirsk, West House, Station Road, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, Y07 1PZSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Willmington, J. Willmington VLA Aberystwyth, Y Buarth, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 1NDSearch for more papers by this authorR. Daniel, R. Daniel VLA Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this author S. F. E. Scholes, S. F. E. Scholes VLA Lasswade, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZSearch for more papers by this authorR. Reichel, R. Reichel VLA Thirsk, West House, Station Road, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, Y07 1PZSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Willmington, J. Willmington VLA Aberystwyth, Y Buarth, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 1NDSearch for more papers by this authorR. Daniel, R. Daniel VLA Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this author First published: 19 July 2008 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.163.3.96Citations: 2Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume163, Issue3July 2008Pages 96-96 RelatedInformation

Veterinary RecordVolume 162, Issue 17 p. 563-564 Article Suspected bovine reticuloperitonitis associated with the metal components of a mixer wagon Roger Daniel, Roger Daniel VLA — Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this authorGraham Smith, Graham Smith Graham Smith, Usk Veterinary Centre, Porth-y-carne Street, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1RZSearch for more papers by this author Roger Daniel, Roger Daniel VLA — Carmarthen, Job's Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this authorGraham Smith, Graham Smith Graham Smith, Usk Veterinary Centre, Porth-y-carne Street, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1RZSearch for more papers by this author First published: 26 April 2008 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.162.17.563-aCitations: 4Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume162, Issue17April 2008Pages 563-564 RelatedInformation

Antibodies against Fasciola hepatica were detected in serum and individual milk samples of dairy cattle using an ELISA. Percentage positivity (PP) values in milk samples were related to serum PP values and were not influenced by days into lactation. The correlation coefficient between serum and individual milk samples was highly significant (r=0.84, P<0.005). The correlation coefficient between herd seroprevalence and herd milk antibody prevalence was 0.96. The correlation coefficient between prevalence measured by faecal egg count and both seroprevalence and milk antibody prevalence within the herd was 0.87. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for milk were 92% (95% CI=89–96) and 88% (95% CI=85–91), respectively, when the serum test was considered as a gold standard. In conclusion, the level of antibody to F. hepatica in milk is significantly correlated with the antibody level in serum and this ELISA is suitable as a means of routine veterinary diagnosis of exposure to F. hepatica in cattle and an alternative to testing sera.

SIR, – Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is usually a sporadic and fatal disease of cattle. The clinical presentation can be very varied, and may be peracute, acute, chronic or mild (Radostits and others 2007). Typically it presents as the so-called ‘head and eye’ form, in which animals become pyrexic, inappetent, develop bilateral corneal opacity and mucopurulent discharge from the eyes and nose. The muzzle and nares become encrusted, and multiple erosions may be present on the oral mucosa. Death usually follows within one to two weeks, but recovery may sometimes occur. Although a peracute syndrome characterised by depression, diarrhoea, dysentery and death in 24 to 72 hours is described in the literature, we are not aware of any previous reports in cattle in the UK. We would like to report five incidents characterised by such a syndrome, investigated by three Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) regional laboratories in 2005 and 2006. Farm details are summarised in Table 1. In all five incidents the clinical observations and progression were broadly similar. Where examined clinically, animals were pyrexic (up to 41°C), profoundly dull, and produced a foulsmelling haemorrhagic diarrhoea. Haematuria was observed in four animals from herds C, D and E. Milk production ceased in adult cows and death followed within 24 to 72 hours, although on farm D several animals were euthanased earlier Letters

Bovine cryptosporidiosis is usually an acute diarrhoeal disease of young calves caused by Cryptosporidium parvum. However, chronic infection with Cryptosporidium andersoni has been associated with gastritis, reduced milk yield and poor weight gain in adult cattle. Here we describe the first genetic confirmation and characterisation of C. andersoni from cattle in the United Kingdom and its sample prevalence within a dairy herd. Oocysts measured 7.5±0.4μm×5.5±0.4μm (7.0–8.5μm×4.5–6.5μm) with a length-to-width ratio of 1.37 (1.08–1.60). The within-herd sample prevalence was 16% (95% confidence intervals=10.4–21.6%). Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analysis of the small subunit rDNA was used to confirm the species and characterise the isolates. Due to the lack of overt, acute, clinical symptoms, the incidence, prevalence and importance of this parasite is probably currently underestimated in cattle in the UK. The potential for zoonotic transmission is unknown.

Veterinary RecordVolume 156, Issue 13 p. 423-423 Letter Detection of Cryptosporidium andersoni in a dairy cow with diarrhoea in the UK R. G. Daniel, R. G. Daniel VLA – Carmarthen, Job’s Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this authorD. Staak, D. Staak Oak Veterinary Group, Clarbeston Road, Pembrokeshire, SA63 4UHSearch for more papers by this authorG. Robinson, G. Robinson Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorA. L. Thomas, A. L. Thomas Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorS. J. Hadfield, S. J. Hadfield Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorK. Elwin, K. Elwin Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorR. M. Chalmers, R. M. Chalmers Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this author R. G. Daniel, R. G. Daniel VLA – Carmarthen, Job’s Well Road, Johnstown, Carmarthen, SA31 3EZSearch for more papers by this authorD. Staak, D. Staak Oak Veterinary Group, Clarbeston Road, Pembrokeshire, SA63 4UHSearch for more papers by this authorG. Robinson, G. Robinson Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorA. L. Thomas, A. L. Thomas Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorS. J. Hadfield, S. J. Hadfield Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorK. Elwin, K. Elwin Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this authorR. M. Chalmers, R. M. Chalmers Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, NPHS Microbiology Swansea (Velindre NHS Trust), Singleton Hospital, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8QASearch for more papers by this author First published: 26 March 2005 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.156.13.423Citations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. References Anderson B. C. (1998) Cryptosporidiosis in bovine and human health. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 3036–3041 Moriarty E. M. McEvoy J. M. Lowery C. J. Thompson H. P. Finn M. Sheridan J. J. Blair I. S. McDowell D. A. Duffy G. (2005) Prevalence and characterisation of Cryptosporidium species in cattle faeces and on beef carcases at slaughter. Veterinary Record 156, 165–168 Xiao L. Fayer R. Ryan U. Upton S. J. (2004) Cryptosporidium taxonomy: recent advances and implications for public health. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 17, 72–97 Citing Literature Volume156, Issue13March 2005Pages 423-423 ReferencesRelatedInformation

An ELISA developed to diagnose Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle by detecting serum antibodies was adapted and validated for use with samples of bulk-tank milk. The prevalence of the infection in 61 dairy herds was established by using serum antibody levels or faecal egg counts measured in a proportion of the cows in each herd. The correlation between the results of the ELISA and the herd seroprevalence was 0(.)83. Using a cut-off value of 27 per cent positive, the bulk-tank ELISA identified herds in which more than 25 per cent of the cows were infected with a diagnostic sensitivity of 96 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 89 to 100 per cent) and a diagnostic specificity of 80 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 66 to 94 per cent). By applying the ELISA to 623 herds in England and 445 herds in Wales, the prevalence of F hepatica infection in England was estimated to be 48 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 46 to 54 per cent), and in Wales 86 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 84 to 90 per cent).

Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) infection caused weight loss, diarrhoea, decreased milk yield and occasionally death in cattle in East Anglia during the winters of 2001 to 2003. The condition had previously been limited mainly to stock imported into this part of Britain from endemically infected areas. In composite faecal samples collected by 16 farm animal veterinary practices in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, fluke eggs were found in 15 (28.8 per cent) of 52 previously unaffected suckler herds and 10 (16.7 per cent) of 60 dairy herds. Antibodies to F hepatica were detected by elisa in 32 (53.3 per cent) of the bulk milk samples from these 60 dairy herds, including the 10 in which fluke eggs were found. The emergence of fasciolosis in East Anglia was attributed to recent higher summer rainfall, which favoured the intermediate snail host Lymnaea truncatula and the free-living stages of F hepatica, the increased influx of sheep from endemic fluke areas for seasonal grazing, and the wetter grazing conditions associated with the Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme.

During the decade to 1999, the incidence of human infections with the zoonotic pathogen verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (VTEC O157) increased in England and Wales. This paper describes the results of a survey of 75 farms to determine the prevalence of faecal excretion of VTEC O157 by cattle, its primary reservoir host, in England and Wales. Faecal samples were collected from 4663 cattle between June and December 1999. The prevalence of excretion by individual cattle was 4.2 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 2.0 to 6.4) and 10.3 per cent (95 per cent CI 5.8 to 14.8) among animals in infected herds. The within-herd prevalence on positive farms ranged from 1.1 to 51.4 per cent. At least one positive animal was identified on 29 (38.7 per cent; 95 per cent CI 28.1 to 50.4) of the farms, including dairy, suckler and fattening herds. The prevalence of excretion was least in the calves under two months of age, peaked in the calves aged between two and six months and declined thereafter. The phage types identified most widely were 4, 34 and 2, which were each found on six of the 29 positive farms.