Factors influencing endemic disease in the Northern Ireland sheep flock.

影响北爱尔兰羊群地方病的因素。

• 批准号: BB/W020521/1
• 负责人: Stewart Burgess
• 金额: $ 22.46万
• 依托单位: Moredun Research Institute
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FW020521%2F1
• 关键词: Factors; influencing; endemic; disease; Northern

Endemic diseases are core drivers of medicine use in sheep. Resistance is driven by pathogen exposure to drugs within the animal and residues or metabolites in the environment. A reduction in the burden of endemic disease would reduce pressure on the existing medicines, decrease selection for resistance and reduce medicinal residues in food and the environment. Guidelines exist for the management of both parasitic disease and lameness, yet endemic disease continues to cause the industry significant challenges; negatively impacting sheep and farmer welfare.This proposal aims to address key knowledge gaps concerning endemic diseases of sheep in Northern Ireland. Farm data will be used to co-develop, with farmers, realistic and practical, evidence based, on-farm solutions to mitigate against key endemic diseases of sheep as well as provide a case study for other UK sheep producing regions. One pillar of this work will be the application of diagnostic testing to underpin a "Test don't treat approach". In doing so this project addresses two of the strategic themes of the call: evidence-based on-farm management and the development of novel approaches to endemic disease control. This initial one-year project aims to exploit sheep scab as an exemplar disease upon which a research framework for the control of endemic disease can be developed. Sheep scab, caused by infestation with the parasitic mite, Psoroptes ovis, is endemic in NI and represents a significant economic and welfare concern for the NI sheep industry, which consists of a national flock of ~ two million sheep at the 2019 census. There is a paucity of information on the distribution of sheep scab in NI. While some lessons could be extrapolated from previous work in Great Britain, given the highly fragmented land use by interconnected farms, driven in part by the traditional conacre system of land rental, specific data is required on the transmission and distribution of the disease in NI. This data will also serve as the basis for a model of other transmissible endemic diseases in the NI flock. This project is centred around the farm and farmer. A series of knowledge transfer events will be held. These will include cross industry representation to allow farmers and prescribers, together, to understand the diseases and their control options. In addition, pre-intervention data will be obtained about farmer and prescriber knowledge and belief regarding endemic disease and its cost among the NI flock. Specific training will be given to local, private veterinary surgeons (vets) on current best practice for the diagnosis, prevention and where necessary, treatment of sheep scab. A system will be designed to allow farmers to self-report if they believe sheep scab is present in their flock. The project will pay for the vet's farm visit and for diagnostic testing. Standardised data will be collected and, where indicated, support given for the treatment of sheep scab. Data collected will be used to determine the distribution and transmission dynamics of scab in the NI flock, as well as assessing the behavioural economic constraints and barriers to control and the environmental impact (GHG emissions) of the disease. Project findings will be shared with industry stakeholders. A process of co-development will be used to determine the future steps needed to control, and where applicable, eradicate disease from the national flock. This will include the optimisation of, diagnostic testing, treatment and prevention, as well as considering behavioural change for example in regard to stock movements and boundary management. Outputs from the project will be presented to government and industry policy makers in order to inform future endemic disease strategies with a focus on ensuring the legacy from this project can lead to longer term improved animal health and farmer welfare as well as contribute to the UK farming industry's stated carbon net zero aspiration.

地方病是绵羊用药的核心驱动因素。耐药性是由病原体暴露于动物体内的药物和环境中的残留物或代谢物驱动的。减少地方病负担将减轻对现有药物的压力，减少耐药性的选择，并减少食品和环境中的药物残留。已有寄生虫病和跛行管理指南，但地方病继续给该行业带来重大挑战；负面影响羊和农民的福利。这一建议旨在解决有关北爱尔兰绵羊地方病的关键知识差距。农场数据将用于与农民共同开发现实和实用的、基于证据的农场解决方案，以减轻绵羊的主要地方病，并为英国其他绵羊生产地区提供案例研究。这项工作的一个支柱将是应用诊断测试来支持“测试不治疗方法”。为此，该项目解决了呼吁的两个战略主题：以证据为基础的农场管理和发展控制地方病的新方法。这个为期一年的初步项目旨在利用羊痂作为一种典型疾病，在此基础上可以制定控制地方病的研究框架。绵羊疥疮是由寄生螨（Psoroptes ovis）感染引起的，是NI的地方病，是NI羊产业的重要经济和福利问题，在2019年的人口普查中，NI羊产业由全国约200万只羊组成。关于羊痂病在NI的分布信息缺乏。虽然可以从英国以前的工作中推断出一些经验教训，但考虑到相互联系的农场对土地的使用高度分散，部分原因是传统的土地租赁的圆锥英亩制度，需要关于NI疾病传播和分布的具体数据。这些数据也将作为NI禽群中其他传染性地方病模型的基础。该项目以农场和农民为中心。一系列的知识转移活动将会举行。这将包括跨行业代表，使农民和开处方者能够共同了解疾病及其控制选择。此外，还将获得干预前数据，了解农民和处方医生对NI群中地方病及其成本的知识和信念。将对当地私人兽医进行具体培训，以了解目前诊断、预防和必要时治疗羊痂的最佳做法。将设计一个系统，允许农民自我报告，如果他们认为他们的羊群中存在结痂。该项目将支付兽医的农场参观和诊断测试费用。将收集标准化数据，并在需要时为治疗羊痂提供支持。收集的数据将用于确定NI禽群中痂病的分布和传播动态，以及评估控制该疾病的行为经济限制和障碍以及环境影响（温室气体排放）。项目结果将与行业利益相关者分享。一个共同发展的进程将用于确定今后需要采取的步骤，以控制并在适用的情况下从国家禽群中根除疾病。这将包括优化诊断测试、治疗和预防，以及考虑改变行为，例如在种群流动和边界管理方面。该项目的产出将提交给政府和行业决策者，以便为未来的地方病战略提供信息，重点是确保该项目的遗产能够长期改善动物健康和农民福利，并为英国农业宣称的净零碳排放的愿望做出贡献。

项目成果

Diagnosis and treatment of sheep scab

羊疮痂病的诊断与治疗

• DOI: 10.1002/inpr.361
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: In Practice
• 影响因子: 0.3
• 作者: Burgess S

Sheep scab: comparison of spatial and temporal patterns determined by clinical diagnosis or ELISA.

• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05564-5
• 发表时间: 2022-11-11
• 期刊: Parasites & vectors
• 影响因子: 3.2