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Project to examine leprosy in red squirrels
red squirrel
Brownsea Island is home to around 200 red squirrels. Leprosy is thought to have been present on the island for some time, but it has only just been diagnosed as such.
Brownsea Island becomes home to a new study

Wildlife experts are hoping to find out more about how leprosy affects British red squirrels on Brownsea Island in Dorset.

Leprosy was first identified in red squirrels in Scotland in 2014, but it is thought to have been present in the squirrel population for centuries.

According to post-mortems, the disease also affects squirrels on the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island, off the south coast of England. Little is currently known about how it spreads.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh will work with the National Trust and the Dorset Wildlife Trust. It is hoped their work will offer clues about how the disease is spread between squirrels and how conservationists can help to control it.

Brownsea Island is home to around 200 red squirrels. Leprosy is thought to have been present on the island for some time, but it has only just been diagnosed as such.

Vets will use humane traps to capture the squirrels, before taking blood samples and other clinical samples for analysis.

Across the UK, there are thought to be less than 140,000 red squirrels left. The primary threats to their survival are habitat loss and squirrel pox virus.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.