Sheep farmers are being urged to ensure checks are made for the signs of the highly infectious retrovirus Maedi Visna (MV).

The Borders Monitor Farm, a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland and AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, recently held a meeting which aimed to raise awareness of the importance of checking for signs of MV which can be spread primarily through nose-to-nose contact but can also be passed through colostrum and milk.

It can take several years before infected sheep show signs of MV and when they do show symptoms, they can be varied.

The signs of MV can include a decrease in scanning percentage, reduced milk production, ill thrift, laboured breathing and increased risk of bacterial pneumonia infection.

Within the past year, there has been an increase in cases of MV within the borders and the meeting stressed the importance for farmers to check whether their flocks are infected with a blood test.