Beware of skin disease in Dorper sheep

The district vets with the Central West Livestock Health and Pest Authority are reminding sheep producers to be aware of a lethal, fragile skin condition in White Dorpers, following the confirmed diagnosis of Dermatosparaxis in one Dorper flock west of Nyngan. 

The disease was first reported in South Africa in the late 1980s, and was first diagnosed in NSW in 2006. 

According to Central West LHPA district vet, Jillian Kelly, Dorpers have become a popular meat sheep in the Nyngan area over the past few years as they are hardy, fertile, fast growing and very well suited to the local conditions.

"However few people realize that the popular White Dorper can carry the spectacular genetic disease Dermatosparaxis," said Dr Kelly.

"This disease occurs when a ram carrying the defective gene is mated with a ewe carrying the defective gene. A proportion of the lambs produced from this mating will show the clinical signs of the disease, which include fragile skin that tears easily. 

"The disease usually pops up when lambs are days to weeks old."

Dr Kelly said the affected lambs look like their skin is literally falling off, and their skin will tear into large wounds upon handling or bumping into fences or other sheep. 

"There is no treatment or cure and sheep unfortunately affected have to be euthanased," she said.

"We recommend anyone with White Dorpers ensures that they are not breeding carrier rams to carrier ewes. The easiest (and cheapest) way to go about this is to test your rams, or insist that purchased rams are tested and proven to be negative prior to purchase.

"The test is quick and simple and involves pricking the ram’s ear and putting a drop of blood onto a special card which is then sent to a laboratory for genetic analysis."

If you would like more information on this disease, contact the district vet at your local Central West LHPA office, Nyngan – 6832 1008; Coonamble – 6822 1588 or Dubbo – 6882 2133.

Media contact: Kylie Dunn 6391 3720 / 0428 465 378