Post mortem examination of the lungs is necessary for disease confirmation. In these lungs the dark areas are tumour. The affected right lung is much larger than the left.
The typical OPA signs of weight loss and increased respiratory effort after exercise and at rest could apply to many other diseases.
Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma (OPA), also commonly known as Jaagsiekte, is a growing issue in Scottish sheep with affected flocks losing between 1-5% annually, and in severe cases losses can be up to 20%.
However, Dr Chris Cousens, a scientist at the Moredun Research Institute in Scotland, has developed an ultrasound scanning technique which can detect tumours at the early stage. Working with Scottish flocks, they have screened sheep once or twice a year, and seen the disease reduce significantly for those affected.
The work has shown that sheep with early OPA are generally not in poor condition, so screening only thin sheep is a mistake. Also, in some animals the tumours grow very quickly, which goes against previous thinking that it develops slowly over a period of years.
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Very small lesions found by ultrasound may or may not be OPA and therefore re-scanning six to eight weeks later is recommended.
So far in Scotland more than 90 vets have attended Moredun-led training courses on ultrasound scanning for OPA.
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Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma (OPA), also commonly known as Jaagsiekte, is a growing issue in Scottish sheep with affected flocks losing between 1-5% annually, and in severe cases losses can be up to 20%.
However, Dr Chris Cousens, a scientist at the Moredun Research Institute in Scotland, has developed an ultrasound scanning technique which can detect tumours at the early stage. Working with Scottish flocks, they have screened sheep once or twice a year, and seen the disease reduce significantly for those affected.
The work has shown that sheep with early OPA are generally not in poor condition, so screening only thin sheep is a mistake. Also, in some animals the tumours grow very quickly, which goes against previous thinking that it develops slowly over a period of years.
Very small lesions found by ultrasound may or may not be OPA and therefore re-scanning six to eight weeks later is recommended.
So far in Scotland more than 90 vets have attended Moredun-led training courses on ultrasound scanning for OPA.
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