The APHA shares information about the common diseases and conditions they have identified in ruminant and South American camelid carcass submissions during 2023.

The APHA & SRUC veterinary investigation centres, and Partner Postmortem Providers, received a range of livestock and wildlife species for postmortem examination during 2023; with sheep being most frequently submitted, followed by cattle, and then pigs. One of the groups of farmed animals is ‘Miscellaneous Species’ and includes South American camelids (alpaca and llama), amongst others. These investigations form part of the GB scanning surveillance system. We offer subsidised postmortem examinations and diagnostic testing, as well as advice and support, to farmers via their veterinary surgeons to diagnose, control, and prevent disease in farmed animals. The information captured from these submissions, and from other discussions with the livestock industry, contributes to identifying new or re-emerging threats to animal and public health. Our surveillance experts use this information in a variety of ways, and communicate their findings through a range of surveillance reports and outputs.

ANALYSES OF THE DATA FOR COMMON DIAGNOSES RECORDED
We looked at the top 5 to 10 diseases diagnosed on carcass submissions during 2023, for all ages, for cattle, sheep and South American camelids. This provides examples of common conditions diagnosed across the surveillance network. It is important to point out that this may not accurately reflect all the most common diseases and conditions seen on farms and smallholdings. Submissions are voluntary and rely on livestock keepers and their private vets to submit carcasses to the surveillance network for investigation. Some conditions will be diagnosed on farm by yourself or your private vet, without requiring post-mortem examination and will not show in these analyses, for example foot rot in sheep and mastitis in cattle. In addition, every farm and smallholding is unique, and disease patterns will change depending on the species kept, the breed, management type, geography, season, and year.

This article extract was taken from the October 2024 edition of The Country Smallholder. To find out which diseases top the list for cattle, sheep and South American camelids, you can buy the full issue here.

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