State moves to protected sheep footrot status
The move to footrot protected area status for the state’s sheep industry has been welcomed by the Livestock Health and Pest Authorities.
The authorities have been at the forefront of attempts to eradicate virulent footrot for the past 20 years and are now keen to acknowledge all those involved during the campaign.
In 1988 the NSW sheep industry adopted a Footrot Strategic Plan aimed at the eradication of the disease.
Footrot is a contagious bacterial disease of sheep and goats, which is spread between animals, particularly under wet conditions.
Virulent footrot is a severe and debilitating disease with significant economic loss from reduced wool growth and quality, poor ewe fertility, poor growth rates, losses from blowfly strike and reduced value of sale sheep.
In infected flocks, there are also significant costs associated with the control of the disease.
The gaining of protected status has seen the level of the disease drop to less than one per cent of flocks in the state.
The Tablelands Livestock Health and Pest Authority has been the last authority to move to protected status.
Tablelands authority senior veterinarian, Bruce Watt said staff have been surveying the area sequentially over six years.
“These surveys have been exhaustive and comprehensive and we’ll continue to survey properties for a least the next three years.
“As part of the analysis, 32 flocks with greater than 500 sheep were randomly selected and surveyed between March and May of 2009. Ten per cent of sheep were inspected in each flock with all selected animals turned and all 4 feet examined and foot-scored.
“The great news is there is no evidence of virulent footrot detected in any of the 32 flocks,” Mr Watt said.
The authority’s have staff regularly attend sheep sales in the area with inspectors present at over 30 sales in 2008 with no footrot detected.
The Livestock Health and Pest Authorities are confident they can maintain protected area status, with less than 20 of the state’s 23,000 sheep flocks currently quarantined. Authorities will continue to monitor sheep for footrot at saleyards and on properties throughout the state.
Media Contact: Bruce Watt 63 31 1377 or mobile 0428 93 5559