A survey of Scotland’s veterinary practices indicates that the unpleasant and infectious sheep disease, caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), is spreading rapidly.

Twenty four practices confirmed the presence in their area of CLA - a chronic condition of sheep and goats, characterized by nodules on the lymph nodes, lungs, skin and other organs leading to untreatable pneumonia.

Of the 48 practices who responded to the survey, run by NFU Scotland with the help of the SAC, 46 said the disease was now a medium to high risk.

NFU Scotland said yesterday that the next step must be approval for a CLA vaccine. There is no guarantee that the vaccine used in Australia against CLA - and illegally in the UK by some pedigree flock owners - will be effective against the strain of disease found here.

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Source: Scotsman.com Business; Fordyce Maxwell, Rural Affairs Editor
October 2, 2004

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