The labs run by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) at Stormont and Omagh have published their latest disease surveillance report for the second quarter of 2025.

The cases noted include a farm where six cows aborted within a one-week period. Three foetuses were submitted for post mortem examination, with Neospora organisms confirmed

“Neospora is a known cause of bovine abortion, and an abortion storm like in this case is often associated with dog to cow transmission,” states the report. Once infected, dams are infected for life and are at an increased risk of aborting, or if they themselves do not abort, produce infected calves.

ADVERTISEMENT

Other issues in the report include a year-old heifer that died due to ragwort poisoning, while blackleg was detected in two calves aged just four months, which had been kept indoors.

Blackleg is more commonly isolated from cattle at grass – however it can affect animals indoors and may be the result of access to silage, haylage or bedding that is contaminated with soil.

Sheep abortion

Meanwhile, the report covering the first quarter of 2025 confirmed there was an increase in sheep abortion and stillbirth submissions to AFBI over the period, with enzootic abortion (EAE) and toxoplasmosis each accounting for 15% of all diagnoses.

Other bacterial pathogens such as Campylobacter spp. and Listeria spp. each accounted for 7% of abortions.

The latest MSD FlockCheck data continues to show persistently high levels of exposure to Toxoplasmosis and EAE in UK sheep flocks, despite the availability of effect vaccines. Survey data from MSD suggests over 60% of flocks are not routinely vaccinated against either disease.