The risk of unexplained mortality tends to increase at this time of year as ewes enter late pregnancy or lambs are transferred on to intensive finishing diets.

It is not uncommon for a flock to experience a case of abortion in a ewe with underlying causes that are nothing to worry about. Each case, however, should be treated as a potential outbreak of disease, with the same going for any unexplained mortality. Alarm bells should start ringing once the incidence hits 2%.

The chances of achieving an accurate diagnosis will be greatly aided by the quality of the sample submitted

The regional veterinary laboratory (RVL) service operated by the Department of Agriculture carries out continuous surveillance for exotic and endemic diseases and also plays an important role in providing a diagnostic service to veterinary practitioners and their clients.

Samples

Samples including animal carcases and blood, milk or faeces can only be submitted through your vet, who will also receive the report for interpretation.The chances of achieving an accurate diagnosis will be greatly aided by the quality of the sample submitted.

In the case of an animal carcase, foetus or foetal membranes, the chance of diagnosing the cause of disease will be helped by submitting the sample as soon as possible and in a clean condition.

The RVL network consists of six centres.

Further information on submitting samples including a price list and guidelines on packaging can be found here.

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Diagnosis of abortion critical for disease control at lambing