louping ill

joe35

Anyone any ideas on treating a ewe with louping ill.

123shooter

I think they die but not 100% sure. How do you know she has louping ill?

joe35

Took her from the hill doing alot of twitching. Frothing a bit at the mouth and unsteady on her feet. She actually doesn't seem as bad today, went out to her yesterday morning and taught she'd be lights out before night but not so bad now

123shooter

Why not ask a vet?

joe35

She seemed to far gone to do anything with. Was very surprised when I seen her today. Might give him a buzz tomorrow

123shooter

Louping Ill is a virus disease from infected Ticks similar to Lymes disease. The sheep I saw with it went down in a day.

The vet confirmed what was killing them ..... so I was told.

greysides

joe35 wrote: »

Took her from the hill doing alot of twitching. Frothing a bit at the mouth and unsteady on her feet. She actually doesn't seem as bad today, went out to her yesterday morning and taught she'd be lights out before night but not so bad now

A summary, taken from here.

LOUPING ILL is an acute, tick-transmitted viral disease of the CNS that primarily affects sheep, but cattle, goats, horses, dogs, pigs, South American camelids, red grouse, and people also can be affected; people can be infected by tick bites. The disease is seen throughout the rough hill grazings of the British Isles wherever the vector tick, Ixodes ricinus, is prevalent.

In sheep flocks, mortality ranges from 60% in newly introduced stock to 5%–10% in sheep acclimatized to the pasture. On farms where the disease is endemic, losses are mainly confined to animals <2 yr old; adults tend to be immune as a result of previous infection, and lambs are protected in their first season by colostral antibody. However, when the disease appears for the first time, or after a lapse of several years, all ages of sheep are susceptible.

Mortality is variable in other species but tends to be high in red grouse. All species of vertebrates that come in contact with questing ticks may become parasitized and infected with louping ill virus, but only sheep and grouse develop titers of viremia sufficient to pass the infection to the vector tick.

Infected lactating goats can excrete high titers of virus in their milk, which may cause fatal infection of their kids and be a potential human health hazard.

After inoculation by an infected tick, virus initially replicates in lymphoid tissues, which gives rise to viremia that lasts 1–5 days.

During viremia, a febrile reaction may be present, but overt clinical signs are generally absent until the virus enters the CNS and begins replication, even though the immune response has eliminated the virus from the extraneuronal tissues.

Signs include fine muscular tremors, nervous nibbling, ataxia (particularly of the hindlimbs), weakness, and collapse; death may occur 1–3 days after onset of signs. Peracute deaths may also occur.
In some recovered animals, residual paresis or torticollis may persist. All recovered animals are solidly immune for life.

The severity of clinical disease in animals recently infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum (the cause of tickborne fever [see Tickborne Fever]) is markedly increased, presumably because of the immunosuppressive effect of this organism.

No specific treatment is available, but nursing, hand-feeding, and sedation may be helpful.

An inactivated, tissue culture–propagated vaccine is available and has successfully protected sheep, cattle, and goats. A single injection induces an antibody response that provides protection for <2 yr. Colostrum from the vaccinated ewe prevents infection of lambs in their first months. Generally, all animals to be retained for breeding are vaccinated at 6–12 mo of age. Use of insecticidal dips to protect against exposure to ticks generally is inadequate, although pour-on preparations reduce exposure, and their systematic use may effectively reduce the abundance of ticks and prevalence of virus infection.


Zoonotic Risk:

Louping ill virus infection of people can cause severe encephalomyelitis. Symptoms are biphasic; the initial, flu-like symptoms are replaced 4–5 days later with signs of encephalitis. People become infected through the bite of infected ticks or through contact with infected carcasses, sharp instruments, or aerosol.

greysides

Louping ill in man: a forgotten disease.

Abstract

Louping ill disease of sheep has been recognised in Scotland for centuries. It causes encephalitis and is transmitted by the sheep tick, Ixodes ricinus. Human infection was first reported in 1934. Thirty-one cases of human infection have now been described. Four clinical syndromes are seen, an influenza-like illness, a bi-phase encephalitis, a poliomyelitis-like illness and a hemorrhagic fever. Certain occupational groups, e.g. laboratory personnel working with the virus and those who kill injected sheep, are at increased risk of acquiring louping ill infection. In many instances, infection is subclinical. Eight new human cases are described. Six were in crofters or shepherds in the north and west of Scotland, one was in a general practitioner in the Western Isles and the eighth was in a butcher in Edinburgh. Louping ill disease should not be forgotten in cases of unexplained encephalitis in those whose lifestyle exposes them to the virus.