9/10/2025: 

The Veekijker Helpdesk was consulted this spring by a sheep farmer who had imported six sheep from Ireland. She had some of these animals tested serologically for Q fever. In one of the imported sheep, antibodies were found against C. burnetii, the pathogen that causes Q fever. The sheep farmer, who was herself 22 weeks pregnant, admitted that she was worried about the findings. She also stated that the sheep in question had lambed that morning and produced one healthy lamb, but that a second had suffocated in the amniotic membrane. After discussion with a specialist GD veterinarian and in agreement with the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), it was decided that the stillborn lamb and the placenta should be submitted for pathological examination. Read more

Topics highlights report small ruminants May 2025

• Coxiella Burnetii detected in the placenta of a sheep
• Abortion diagnostics results
• Salmonella serogroep C
• Salmonella Typhimurium at a rearing facility
• Joint inflammations in goat kids caused by erysipelas bacterium
• Liver fluke in sheep
• Avian influenza detected in a sheep in the United Kingdom
• Animal health barometer

Monitoring and surveillance