Sheep farmers warned about risk of catching orf

SHEEP farmers have been warned about the risks of picking up the serious skin disease, orf, from infected sheep.

The infection, which is caused by a virus, affects around 30% of sheep flocks every year and can be a major problem at lambing time. Maureen Prendergast, veterinary adviser with Schering Plough, warned that the virus can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected or seemingly normal sheep. It enters the skin through cuts and abrasions and results in lesions on the hands, arms, face or other exposed skin areas. It is sometimes accompanied by a mild fever that lasts a few days.

Ms Prendergast said most people suffering from orf can be effectively treated with antiseptics and antibiotics but where lesions are large, surgery or other procedures may have to be used. In sheep, orf is highly infectious and is characterised by lesions on the lips, nose, ears, eyelids and sometimes on the feet.