Sheep Scab ELISA Test
In the face of the growing threat posed by sheep scab, a series of educational posters has been released to highlight the benefits of the application of the sheep scab ELISA blood test in the fight against the disease. The posters are a result of a collaboration between Biobest Laboratories, the Moredun Institute, the Scottish Government, SEFARI, SCOPS, EPIC Scotland, BioSS and Blobina Animation. The posters illustrate how you can save money and improve flock health through the effective use of testing.
This blood test, developed by Moredun Research Institute, has been offered by Biobest for over 2 years. The test detects specific antibodies in the host sheep to a protein found in the sheep scab mite. The test can detect antibodies in infested sheep before clinical signs become apparent, so is an important tool in scab control.
There are several applications for the test including flock screening, testing prior to routine treatment to assess if this is necessary, investigating clinical disease where skin scrapes are negative, and testing purchased / returning sheep whilst in isolation.
- 22nd October 2019
