DISTRICT vets are scrambling to trace flocks of sheep after a footrot outbreak was discovered in the north west region of the Central West.
The virulent disease was discovered on six properties in the Coonamble, Narromine, Warren, Nyngan and Gilgandra regions, where it has not been seen for decades, causing huge concern for property owners.
Central West Local Land Services (LLS) team leader of animal biosecurity and welfare, Dr Jillian Kelly, said some of the areas found to have the notifiable disease have not seen it since the early 1990s.
“It has come as a bit of a shock,” she said.
Dr Kelly said the LLS had taken immediate action to find the origin of the disease and to limit its spread.
“Our district veterinarians and biosecurity staff work hard to maintain the state’s footrot protected status, so when footrot is diagnosed, we take immediate action to limit its spread and trace the source,” she said.
“This can generate an immense amount of work and involves checking many additional properties for signs of the disease as well as past stock movements.
“We take it very seriously.”
Dr Kelly believes a very wet winter has contributed to the outbreak.
But producers becoming complacent has also played a part.
“It is likely that the increased prevalence of footrot in our district is due to people buying in sheep with footrot and has been exacerbated by the prolonged wet weather,” she said.
LLS acting manager of biosecurity and emergency services in the Central West, Craig Ridley, said if a property was diagnosed, there was a process to be followed.
“The property owner and the district vet come up with an eradication plan subject to the conditions,” he said.
He said this could include destocking the property, with animals sold direct to slaughter. He said in this case properties only had to destock for seven days.
“But when it is this wet, I would be inclined to destock for 14 days,” he said.
Mr Ridley said many breeders had been working on building up bloodlines for years and therefore were unwilling to destock.
The eradication program can also include foot bathing, paring and culling sheep.
Virulent footrot is caused by the bacteria dichelobacter nodosus, and is notifiable under the Stock Diseases Act 1923.
Any landholder, land manager, agent or vet who suspects that footrot is present in a flock is legally obliged to notify a district vet as soon as possible. Failure to notify will result in regulatory action being taken.
NSW maintains a footrot protected status, meaning that the flock prevalence of footrot in the state is less than one per cent.
