Epidemiological information in sheep health management

Infectious diseases of animals and plants: an interdisciplinary approach

Animal and plant diseases pose a serious and continuing threat to food security, food safety, national economies, biodiversity and the rural environment. New challenges, including climate change, regulatory developments, changes in the geographical concentration and size of livestock holdings, and increasing trade make this an appropriate time to assess the state of knowledge about the impact that diseases have and the ways in which they are managed and controlled. In this paper, the case is explored for an interdisciplinary approach to studying the management of infectious animal and plant diseases. Reframing the key issues through incorporating both social and natural science research can provide a holistic understanding of disease and increase the policy relevance and impact of research. Finally, in setting out the papers in this Theme Issue, a picture of current and future animal and plant disease threats is presented.

Principles of mastitis treatment in sheep and goats

This article indicates the principles for treatment of mastitis in ewes/does and explains the reasons why treatment may occasionally fail. It presents the principles for administration of antimicrobial agents at drying off of the animals. Finally, it addresses the risk of antimicrobials present in milk when improper withdrawal periods are used and the issues around testing for inhibitors before putting the milk into in a farm's tank.