project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group

Is there something in the water? Identifying and addressing Cryptosporidium in sheep.
Is there something in the water? Identifying and addressing Cryptosporidium in sheep.

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Objectives

Four farmers in Powys have identified cryptosporidium in calves and lambs on their farms in previous years and are now undertaking a two year project to determine the prevalence and sources of the parasite on their farms. They hope to increase their understanding of the pathways by which it is transmitted among sheep and also identify measures they can take to control and prevent the disease in sheep.

Objectives

Mae pedwar ffermwr o Bowys wedi adnabod Cryptosporidiwm mewn lloi ac ŵyn ar eu ffermydd dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf ac maen nhw nawr yn ymgymryd â phrosiect, sy’n para dwy flynedd, i ganfod presenoldeb a tharddleoedd y parasitiaid ar eu ffermydd. Maent yn gobeithio cynyddu eu dealltwriaeth o’r llwybrau lle mae’r parasitiaid yn cael eu trosglwyddo ymysg defaid, yn ogystal ag adnabod y camau y gallant gymryd i reoli ac atal y clefyd mewn defaid. 

Activities

Each farm will have a biosecurity review. Some faecal samples will be taken from ewes to assess cryptosporidium levels in the breeding flock before lambing.
The farms infrastructure and watercourse will be sampled and tested for cryptosporidium. This will include the lambing sheds, bedding, pasture and water supplies.
Faeces from new born lambs which show clinical signs of having cryptosporidium (diarrhoea, dehydration) will be sampled at:

1 week old
10 days old
2 weeks old
At weaning 3-4 months old

The group will then work together to develop procedures to reduce the prevalence of Cryptosporidium on the farms followign the results of the above,

Activities

Bydd pob fferm yn cael arolygiad bioddiogelwch. Bydd rhai samplau ysgarthol yn cael eu cymryd o famogiaid i asesu lefelau Cryptosporidiwm yn y ddiadell fridio cyn y cyfnod ŵyna.
Bydd isadeiledd a dyfrffosydd y ffermydd yn cael eu samplu a’u profi am Gryptosporidiwm. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys y siediau ŵyna, deunydd gorwedd a chyflenwadau porfa a dŵr.
Bydd yr ysgarthion o ŵyn newydd-anedig sy’n dangos y symptomau clinigol o gael Cryptosporidiwm yn cael eu samplu pan fyddant yn:

1 wythnos oed
10 diwrnod oed
2 wythnos oed
3-4 mis oed yn ystod diddyfnu

Bydd y grŵp yna'n gweithio gyda’i gilydd i ddatblygu dulliau i leihau cyffredinolrwydd Cryptosporidiwm ar y ffermydd yn ôl canlyniadau'r uchod.

Project details
Main funding source
Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
Rural Development Programme
2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Ort
Main geographical location
Powys

EUR 47 011.00

Total budget

Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.

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1 Practice Abstracts

Cryptosporidium is a group of parasites which infect the gastrointestinal tracts of numerous species, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, horses and deer, but can also have an impact on human health. Reducing the incidence of cryptosporidium in livestock can therefore have a twofold advantage, improving animal health and productivity and reducing contamination of the environment, leading to a reduction in human health risks.



There is still a low level of understanding regarding the persistence, transmission routes, and management options available regarding cryptosporidium in sheep. Typically, infection presents as high lamb mortality under one month of age and ill thrift of lambs. The scale of production losses to the sheep industry as a result of cryptosporidium is unknown.



Four farmers in Powys have identified cryptosporidium in calves and lambs on their farms in previous years and are now undertaking a two year project to determine the prevalence and sources of the parasite on their farms. They hope to increase their understanding of the pathways by which it is transmitted among sheep and also identify measures they can take to control and prevent the disease in sheep.

 

Potential Outcomes



Identification of the possible sources of Cryptosporidium infection on farms.

Develop an understanding of the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in the farm environment.

Adopt procedures which will manage and/or prevent Cryptosporidium infection and share these approaches with the wider agricultural industry.

Provide recommendations about the intervention measures that could be adopted to reduce the risk and prevalence of Cryptosporidium in surface water, with specific reference to sheep and cattle systems in Wales.

Grŵp o barasitiaid yw Cryptosporidiwm sy’n heintio llwybrau gastroberfeddol nifer o rywogaethau, gan gynnwys gwartheg, defaid, geifr, moch, ieir, ceffylau a cheirw, ond gall hefyd effeithio ar iechyd dynol. Felly, gall lleihau’r achosion o Gryptosporidiwm mewn da byw fod yn fantais ddeublyg, gan wella iechyd a chynhyrchiant anifeiliaid yn ogystal â lleihau halogiad yr amgylchedd, sy’n arwain at leihad mewn peryglon iechyd dynol.



Mae yna lefel isel o ddealltwriaeth o hyd ynghylch y dyfalbarhad, llwybrau trosglwyddo a’r opsiynau rheoli sydd ar gael ynglŷn â Chryptosporidiwm mewn defaid. Yn nodweddiadol, mae haint yn arwain at gyfradd marwolaeth uchel i ŵyn sydd o dan fis oed a diffyg cyflwr mewn ŵyn. Mae graddfa’r colledion cynhyrchu i’r diwydiant defaid o ganlyniad i Gryptosporidiwm yn anhysbys.



Mae pedwar ffermwr o Bowys wedi adnabod Cryptosporidiwm mewn lloi ac ŵyn ar eu ffermydd dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf ac maen nhw nawr yn ymgymryd â phrosiect, sy’n para dwy flynedd, i ganfod presenoldeb a tharddleoedd y parasitiaid ar eu ffermydd. Maent yn gobeithio cynyddu eu dealltwriaeth o’r llwybrau lle mae’r parasitiaid yn cael eu trosglwyddo ymysg defaid, yn ogystal ag adnabod y camau y gallant gymryd i reoli ac atal y clefyd mewn defaid.



Canlyniadau Posibl



Adnabyddiaeth o darddleoedd posibl haint Cryptosporidiwm ar ffermydd.

Datblygu dealltwriaeth o gyffredinolrwydd Cryptosporidiwm o fewn amgylchedd fferm.

Dilyn dulliau a fydd yn rheoli neu’n atal heintio Cryptosporidiwm a’n rhannu’r dulliau hyn gyda’r diwydiant amaethyddol ehangach.

Darparu argymhellion ynglŷn â’r dulliau ymyrraeth posibl i leihau risg a chyffredinolrwydd Cryptosporidiwm mewn dŵr wyneb, gan gyfeirio’n benodol at systemau defaid a gwartheg yng Nghymru.

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Contacts

Project coordinator

  • Helen Ovens

    Project coordinator