Tropical disease hits UK cattle

9 June 2000



Tropical disease hits UK cattle

By FWi staff

TROPICAL cattle disease Theileriosis has been identified for the first time in a commercial UK herd.

The disease, also known as East Coast Fever, was confirmed in a herd at Blythbank Farm, Peebleshire, owned by the Roslin Institute.

The search is now on to trace and test about 400 cattle that have moved off the farm in the past three years.

Scientists at the institute have been working with the parasite that causes the disease during their efforts to develop a vaccine.

However, the cattle involved were not part of the study.

The Scottish Executive has announced the compulsory tracing and testing of all cattle that have left the farm.

A spokesman insisted that there was no threat to human health, or to other livestock species.