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Descriptive analysis of ovine mortality in sentinel sheep flocks in Ireland
Author(s) -
Murray Gerard M,
Fagan Seamus,
Murphy Denise,
Fagan John,
Ó Muireagáin Colm,
FroehlichKelly Rebecca,
Barrett Damien J,
Sheehan Maresa,
Wilson Margaret,
Brady Colm Philip,
Hynes Frank,
Farrell Shauna,
Moriarty John,
O Neill Rónan,
Casey Mícheál
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.105291
Subject(s) - flock , medicine , veterinary medicine , mortality rate , disease , demography , surgery , pathology , sociology
Background Studies of sheep mortality or cause‐specific mortality, in Ireland or internationally, are relatively scarce but are important in presenting baseline levels and changing trends of endemic disease. This study assessed sheep mortality and cause‐specific mortality in 33 sentinel sheep flocks in Ireland. Methods Sentinel flocks were requested to submit carcases of all sheep that died to the regional veterinary laboratories (RVLs) of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine during a calendar year (2016). Postmortem examinations were performed on 1247 submissions to Athlone, Kilkenny and Sligo RVLs. Results The median overall submission rate was 13.8 per cent (range 2.5 per cent–35.8 per cent) per adult female sheep in the flock in January 2016. The median fetal, perinatal, lamb and adult submissions per adult female sheep in the flock in January 2016 were 2.1 per cent (0.0 per cent–15.2 per cent), 3.5 per cent (0.0 per cent–20.0 per cent), 3.0 per cent (0.0 per cent–12.4 per cent) and 2.8 per cent (0.8 per cent–7.1 per cent), respectively. The frequency of detection of categories of postmortem diagnoses in fetuses, perinates, lambs and adults are presented. Conclusions Comparisons with existing passive surveillance findings reflect some differences in the relative frequency of detection of certain categories of disease suggesting that sentinel flock surveillance could usefully supplement existing passive animal disease surveillance activities for ovine disease.