Author Topic: enzootic abortion aka chlamydia abortus: Opinions please! (Read 4673 times)

Hevxxx99 · « **on:** February 20, 2015, 11:55:51 pm »

Has anyone any experience of this?

I've been planning on getting some gimmers from a friend but he today discovered that some ewes he is overwintering at his farm have got enzootic abortion (2 aborted and foetuses were pm'd). The affected flock is being given antibiotics but I'm imagining that the farm flock in adjacent housing and possibly the gimmers I'm getting, who are a little further away but in the same barn complex, may also be infected, either at this stage or possibly last spring as lambs when the same flock were lambing nearby.

Am I over-reacting, or should I say "no thanks" and walk away?

Friend is understandably fairly frantic that these sheep may well infect his flock. He's had sheep for decades and never had it.

devonlady · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2015, 06:40:33 am »

I feel so sorry for your friend but I don't think I would risk buying them

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2015, 12:28:45 pm »

My understanding si that if they are exposed to it while not pregnant, they will acquire immunity - and once they've had it, they are immune. Or you can vaccinate at least four weeks before the tup goes in.

We vaccinate for this and Toxo routinely now - one vaccination for life and it's not hugely expensive.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2015, 06:16:05 pm »

Walk away.

shep53 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2015, 08:12:12 pm »

WALK AWAY

Quote from: Rosemary on February 21, 2015, 12:28:45 pm

My understanding si that if they are exposed to it while not pregnant, they will acquire immunity - and once they've had it, they are immune. Or you can vaccinate at least four weeks before the tup goes in.

We vaccinate for this and Toxo routinely now - one vaccination for life and it's not hugely expensive.

Your getting enzo and toxo mixed up , and the recommendation now is repeat every 3-4 yrs for max protection

Hevxxx99 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2015, 08:13:41 pm »

If gimmers or ewes are infected, I thought they aborted their first lamb after infection and thereafter were immune but had lambs that carried the infection so the entire line would be infected. Is that wrong? If it is right though, what are they innoculated for since I believe that is a live vaccine?

It seems a complicated disease!

One positive is that the overwintering ewes have only had incidental contact with the farm flock as far as I can tell, so the possibility of infection is reduced I think to the person feeding them and going from pen to pen.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2015, 08:35:22 pm »

With enzo, I think the infection is passed only in aborted materials, so sheep in contact with infected sheep other than at lambing time (or when the infected sheep are actively aborting) won't catch the disease.

And my understanding is also that each infected sheep will abort once, thereafter be immune. If a ewe lamb comes into contact with abortive materials, she'll abort her first crop but then be fine.

Or, if you know you have it in your flock, the vaccination sounds like a good plan.

So as to whether you should continue and buy these gimmers (presumeably they are not in lamb) - what about asking the seller to vaccinate them for you? Hopefully, if his hygiene and handling of the infected materials was good, they won't have been infected anyway, but if he vaccinates them then there should be no risk?

Hopefully one or more of our vet members can comment on this.

shep53 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2015, 08:49:15 pm »

Does the person feeding them disinfect boots between fields or groups or pens and hands , can you also know if dogs or wildlife are not spreading infection . Having bought in abortion twice I can say it takes a lot of effort and money to control ( once came in via orphan lambs )

farmvet · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2015, 10:36:24 pm »

vaccinating ewes which are incubating the disease will help reduce abortions & shedding of infective organisms but not prevent it. see data sheet for enzovax on noah. So these gimmers could potentially still abort next year & contaminate your ground & flock, plus obviously the public health risk.
Buy some from a eae accredited flock, vaccinate them pretupping if you and your vet think you are high risk from other flocks in the area. You can always buy some from your friend another year if he turns out to remain free of disease.

Hevxxx99 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2015, 10:42:32 pm »

I believe the ewes aborted on Thursday and the results arrived Friday. My friend has been tending all the sheep and won't have been disinfecting boots between pens. They are all inside a dutch barn and range of buildings rather than in fields. I'm aware he is the most probable vector if other pens, including my gimmers, are infected.

Vaccination seems the most sensible route for all the non-pregnant sheep on the farm anyway, so he may well be happy to include my bunch. I believe there is a blood test available as well, so if I get them, perhaps having them tested before tupping time would be wise and consign any that are positive to the freezer.

But does the vaccine then mean a blood test will read positive??

farmvet · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2015, 11:11:32 pm »

The blood test is only reliable on sheep that have aborted and even then only 30% will test positive. It is used to identify presence of disease In a flock not individual infected sheep