Sheep scab figures
Recent figures from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) reflect that the north-east of Scotland is worst affected by sheep scab at the moment.
The data shows that almost half of the 76 overall reported sheep scab cases came from Aberdeenshire, with high numbers of cases also reported in Perthshire, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.
Sheep scab is caused by mites that feed on the skin surface of sheep, causing severe itching and infection which leads to poor weight gain and fleece damage. It was introduced as a notifiable disease in Scotland in 2010.
There are concerns for a further spread of sheep scab, which is highly contagious, during the upcoming winter months.
Current advice recommends animals bought in with an unknown treatment history should be dosed up for scab upon arrival to the new premises with a single injection of doramectin.