Farmers Risk Losses Due To Iceberg Diseases, Warns WVSC

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The results of a recent survey conducted by the Wales Veterinary Science Centre (WVSC) have highlighted the potential for serious losses in the sheep industry if iceberg diseases are not brought to the fore in disease management programmes.

The survey, which was conducted as part of a WVSC student placement project at the Centre, examined the disease priorities of 68 sheep keepers and identified which mitigation measures were most frequently utilised to improve flock health. 

Dr Hazel Wright, WVSC Centre Manager, said: “The results of this survey demonstrate that iceberg diseases remain vastly underrepresented in farm management programmes. This is surprising given that we know that iceberg diseases of sheep, such as Maedi Visna and Johnes, bring a variety of health, welfare and economic consequences, are difficult to control, can be hard to identify and can seriously compromise the productivity and profitability of farm businesses.

“In our survey, almost half of all respondents (47%) reported production losses and/or abortions in the last year.  The most significant symptom reported was the presence of thin ewes and this is a classic symptom of iceberg diseases.  Despite this, almost three quarters (74%) admitted that they did not routinely screen for these diseases”.

Ms Annabelle O’Reilly, WVSC student placement, said “Iceberg diseases seem to have fallen behind other disease priorities on farms.  Alarmingly, 14 percent of the farmers we surveyed were unable to name any iceberg diseases at all, and only 15 percent recorded viral diseases of sheep as a health priority on their farm.

“The clinical signs and symptoms associated with many iceberg diseases are often mild and vague at the start of the disease process, and therefore animals may not appear to be ill until the disease is severe and has had an opportunity to spread more widely throughout the flock.  This makes iceberg diseases especially insidious.  Proactive, rather than reactive management is therefore required”. 

Dr Wright added that the WVSC was keen to see sheep keepers maximise the profitability of their flock and hoped that this survey would be the start of a wider conversation amongst the industry and with their vets about the importance of these diseases and the effect that they can have on the health and productivity of the farm.
“By routinely screening for iceberg diseases, mitigation measures can be put in place before they cause major production inefficiencies through persistent and long-lasting subclinical infection”, added Dr Wright.