Exposure Factors Leading to Establishment of OJD Infection and Clinical Disease

Summary

This study was conducted in order to provide answers for owners of OJD-infected sheep flocks who wish to minimise the economic and biological impact of the disease on their sheep enterprises. The study has demonstrated that careful management of young sheep can reduce the level of OJD in the flock and reduce the death rate. One key finding is that steps taken to limit the degree of exposure of pre-weaned lambs to infection from pastures will lead to reduced rates of severe infection in those sheep in later years. A second key finding is that continuous exposure to OJD bacteria throughout early life results in higher infection rates than exposure which is limited to either the pre-weaning or the post-weaning period alone. A critical factor in management is to provide ‘low risk’ pastures to young sheep at weaning to give them a break from exposure to infection which occurs in the lambing paddocks. We also found that weaned lambs and adult ewes remain susceptible to infection and that there is little evidence for an age-related resistance to OJD.