In Spring 2024 MSD Animal Health in partnership with Andrew Cochrane from Northern Southland Vets (NSVets) began a new study expected to run for three years looking at Campylobacter prevalence in mixed-age ewes and its impact on lamb wastage.

This blog is intended to capture updates on the study at regular intervals throughout the course of the study.

Campylobacter is commonly referred to as an “abortion” disease however Campylobacter-related abortion losses are just the tip of the iceberg with the vast majority of associated losses being not as obvious to spot. Early embryonic loss (resulting in dry ewes or late lambers), stillbirths and weak lambs are all associated with Campylobacter infection.

Currently in New Zealand, the majority of sheep flocks are vaccinated with a Campylobacter vaccine called Campyvax4®, although in most cases this is just an initial sensitiser and booster course given to maiden ewes with many not following best-practice and administering an annual booster to mixed-age ewes. While for most farmers it seems to make sense to protect younger stock as their immune systems are typically less developed to help fight against disease, there appears to be less understanding of the importance of protecting mixed-age ewes which are generally considered the powerhouse of sheep farming operations, producing the majority of the lambs and therefore are a key driver of farm productivity and profitability.

Trial work carried out in Marlborough in 2001 [1] analysed scanning and tailing data and responses of sheep flocks vaccinated with a Campylobacter vaccine. This study suggested that abortions may be just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and of greater economic importance was reduced lamb numbers and lamb viability even when abortions were not observed.

Recent case studies from West Otago (Campylobacter Case Study – West Otago – NZ Sheep Vaccine (sheepvax.co.nz)) and Hawkes Bay (Campylobacter Case Study – Hawkes Bay – NZ Sheep Vaccine (sheepvax.co.nz)) support these findings with positive outcomes from the inclusion of an annual booster vaccination of Campyvax4®.

The purpose of this new study is to reinforce the findings from these previous studies that Campylobacter vaccination in mixed-age ewes is an important consideration for farmers & that in the current economic climate booster vaccinations of Campyvax4® provide a positive return on investment and should be considered an important part of every sheep farmer’s animal health plan.

Year 1 of this study involved blood testing 10 wet-dry mixed-age ewes who had not received a booster shot on 11 Southland sheep farms to test for recent exposure to Campylobacter, as well as gathering the farm’s scanning, tailing and weaning data for the last 3 seasons.

The above data is being reviewed to determine whether there is a correlation between flocks with recent exposure to Campylobacter and flocks with higher lamb wastage and will then be utilised to drive decisions on each farm on whether implementing a Campyvax4® booster vaccination program in mixed-age ewes is appropriate.

Our plan throughout this study is to continue to keep you updated with our findings as they come to hand, so please keep a look out for our next piece providing an overview of the initial results.

If you have any questions regarding this please follow up with your trusted veterinarian or contact MSD Animal Health on 0800 800 543.

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[1] Anderson, P (2001) The Implications of Campylobacter Infections in Ewe Flocks. Proc 31^st Annual Seminar, Society of Sheep and Beef Cattle Veterinarians, NZVA p31-40

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