Factors influencing endemic disease in the Northern Ireland sheep flock.

地方性疾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。地方病负担的减轻将减轻现有药物的压力，减少对耐药性的选择，并减少食品和环境中的药物残留。已有关于管理寄生虫病和跛行的指导方针，但地方病继续给该行业带来重大挑战；对绵羊和农民福利产生负面影响。本提案旨在解决北爱尔兰关于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基于证据的现实和实用的农场解决方案，以缓解关键的绵羊地方病，并为英国其他绵羊产区提供案例研究。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”。在这样做的过程中，该项目涉及呼吁的两个战略主题：基于证据的农场管理和地方病控制新方法的发展。这个最初为期一年的项目旨在利用绵羊赤霉病作为一种示范疾病，在此基础上可以制定控制地方病的研究框架。绵羊赤霉病是由绵羊寄生螨类感染引起的，在NI是地方性疾病，代表着NI养羊业的重大经济和福利问题，2019年人口普查时，NI养羊业由约200万只绵羊组成。NI地区绵羊赤霉病的分布情况缺乏相关信息。虽然可以从英国以前的工作中推断出一些经验教训，但鉴于相互关联的农场的土地使用高度分散，部分原因是传统的土地租赁制度，需要关于疾病在NI的传播和分布的具体数据。该数据还将作为建立NI人群中其他可传播地方性疾病模型的基础。这个项目是以农场和农民为中心的。将举办一系列知识传授活动。这些将包括跨行业的代表性，使农民和处方医生一起了解疾病及其控制选择。此外，还将获得关于NI人群中农民和处方者关于地方病及其成本的知识和信念的干预前数据。将向当地的私人兽医(兽医)提供具体培训，介绍目前诊断、预防和必要时治疗羊疮的最佳做法。将设计一个系统，允许农民在他们认为自己的羊群中存在羊痂时进行自我报告。该项目将支付兽医参观农场和诊断性测试的费用。将收集标准化数据，并在有指示的情况下，为治疗绵羊结痂提供支持。收集的数据将用于确定赤霉病在NI人群中的分布和传播动态，以及评估该疾病的行为经济限制和控制障碍以及环境影响(温室气体排放)。项目调查结果将与行业利益相关者分享。将使用共同发展进程来确定未来需要采取的步骤，以控制并在适当情况下从全国人群中根除疾病。这将包括优化、诊断测试、治疗和预防，以及考虑例如在库存转移和边界管理方面的行为变化。该项目的成果将提交给政府和行业政策制定者，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，并为英国养殖业所宣称的碳净零目标做出贡献。

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.