Understanding and managing sheep health is vital for maintaining a productive, thriving flock. The expert-led resources found within the sections below offer comprehensive guidance to help farmers, vets, and animal health professionals identify, prevent, and treat a wide range of common and emerging conditions.

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB): Diseases Affecting Sheep

The AHDB provides an in-depth guide covering many health issues affecting sheep. This trusted resource is regularly updated and includes practical advice on recognising symptoms and implementing preventative measures.

NADIS Animal Health Skills: Sheep Disease A–Z

NADIS offers an easy-to-navigate A–Z directory of sheep diseases. Designed for farmers, vets, and RAMAs, it includes clear, concise information to support effective health planning and diagnosis.

Disease Spotlight: Bluetongue – Stay Informed

Bluetongue is a notifiable viral disease that affects ruminants, including sheep, cattle, goats, and camelids. For the latest information, visit the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) web page, which provides up-to-date guidance to help livestock keepers stay informed and compliant. It includes current situation reports, advice on spotting and reporting the disease, animal movements and import rules, vaccination guidance, and details of active cases and control zones. The page also offers practical advice for attending shows and educational resources such as webinars, leaflets, videos, and posters.

Access the latest guidance:

Useful links:

The Pirbright Institute 

The Pirbright Institute is the National reference laboratory for Bluetongue virus (BTV) in the UK. They are responsible for the surveillance and monitoring of bluetongue in the UK.

Effective parasite control is essential for sheep health and welfare. This section, guided by SCOPS (Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep), offers practical advice on managing internal and external parasites, staying informed with regional forecasts, and accessing up-to-date resources to support responsible and sustainable treatment strategies.

Farmers and stock keepers play a major role in ensuring that medicines are used responsibly.

Read the advice, information, and guidelines from AHDB and NOAH to help you take steps towards responsible medicine use and understand vaccines and their use on the farm.

Premium Sheep and Goat Health Schemes

PSGHS are run by SRUC Veterinary Services and provide an important framework for establishing the disease status of a flock as well as guidance for reduction, eradication, and certification of freedom from disease.

They work in close partnership with vet practices and member farmers, offering a cost-effective national programme of proactive testing and management to control Maedi Visna (MV) for sheep, Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) and Johne’s Disease. They also provide a Scrapie Monitoring Scheme for export and Scrapie Genotyping for selective breeding.

Please visit their website for further information.

MV Accreditation & Monitoring Schemes

What is Maedi Visna (MV)

Maedi Visna (MV) is a viral infection with a long incubation period that spreads slowly within a flock. This means that, by the time a problem is suspected, a large number of sheep in the flock will give positive results when blood tested for antibodies to MV. The name derives from two Icelandic words which describe the main clinical signs of pneumonia and wasting.

Further information on MV can be found below:

Enzootic Abortion Of Ewes (EAE) Accreditation Scheme

Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) ranks as one of the most common causes of abortion in sheep in the UK. It is primarily a disease of low ground flocks and disease can spread rapidly in intensively managed systems. Once established, the infection is persistent and difficult to eradicate. EAE can cause abortion storms and lamb loss leading to huge economic loss.

Further information on EAE can be found below:

Johne’s Disease Accreditation & Monitoring Schemes

The bacteria Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis causes Johne’s disease in both cattle and sheep and goats. The disease has been found across a range of extensive and intensive husbandry systems and is often under diagnosed. Johne’s disease has a long incubation period, there is no cure and it is ultimately fatal.

Further information on Johne’s Disease can be found below:

Scrapie Monitoring Scheme

What is scrapie?

Scrapie is an infectious wasting disease affecting the nervous system of adult sheep and is very difficult to control. It has been a notifiable disease in the UK since 1993 and is one of the TSEs. The causal agent is resistant to normal disinfection procedures and the disease has a long incubation period. There is no cure, no vaccine, the condition is fatal and animals pass on their genetic susceptibility to the next generation.

The Scheme

Flock masters wishing to export breeding sheep and goats throughout the EU may have their flock or herd monitored under the provisions of the Scrapie Monitoring Scheme administered by SRUC Veterinary Services. Registered flocks and herds undergo an annual flock inspection by the official vet, obey the biosecurity rules and brains from all adult fallen stock should be screened for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). Flocks gain Controlled Risk status after three years and Negligible Risk status after seven years. .

Please see the scheme rules and export guidance for further details.

For non-monitored flocks wishing to export sheep/goats to Northern Ireland only, a new temporary Scrapie Qualifying status has been created.