New ‘test and treat’ project to combat sheep scab outbreaks across Wales

The project has been allocated government funding of £1.5 million each year for a minimum of two years and is led by Coleg Sir Gâr. Dr Hazel Wright, FUW deputy head of Policy, said the launch of Gwaredu Scab has been eagerly awaited ever since the Minister for Rural Affairs announced funding for the project in January 2019.

“Sheep scab is an extremely contagious disease which has significant welfare and economic consequences for affected farms and reducing the prevalence of this disease in Wales will be of tremendous benefit to the industry,” she said.

The disease is caused by the parasitic mite Psoroptes ovis and is easily transmitted between flocks. Clinical signs include mild to excessive scratching and itching, loss of wool, skin lesions, weight loss and, in severe cases, mortality.

However, identifying clinical signs alone is not enough to diagnose the disease, which can only be confirmed by undertaking skin scraping or antibody blood tests.

The Gwaredu Scab project will allow the use of technical officers to coordinate the testing process and approach surrounding farms to minimise the risk of the disease spreading from farm to farm, Dr Wright explained.

“A failure to treat animals at the same time as your neighbours can mean animals becoming reinfected as the sheep scab mite can be transferred by direct contact with infected sheep or objects and a lack of a coordinated approach to treatment could therefore result in a great deal of wasted time and money,” she added.

“We fully recognise the concerns which exist in relation to dipping and the withdrawal period following treatment. However, full engagement with this project will help protect the health and welfare of the Welsh national flock and we strongly encourage farmers with suspected scab to engage in this project to clear this infection from their flock and to reduce the chance of reinfection,” Dr Wright concluded.