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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
13:42
Clinical Examination Protocol to Detect Atypical and Classical Scrapie in Sheep
Published on: January 19, 2014
Skin disease in sheep farmers.
K Heathcote1, E C Harris, V Brewster
1Department of ENT Surgery, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England)
|June 10, 2011
Summary
Sheep farmers can experience ear inflammation linked to lambing. This study investigated the prevalence of this condition and found it specifically associated with lambing, not other farm activities.
Area of Science:
- Occupational dermatology
- Veterinary epidemiology
- Agricultural medicine
Background:
- Reports suggest a specific ear inflammation in sheep farmers during lambing.
- The exact prevalence and causes of this pinna inflammation are not well-understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of ear inflammation in sheep farmers during lambing.
- To identify potential causal associations with farming activities.
Main Methods:
- Veterinary students interviewed sheep farmers using standardized questionnaires during lambing season.
- Data collected on work practices and symptoms of skin inflammation (hands, face, ears).
Main Results:
- 3 out of 74 (4%) farmers reported ear symptoms temporally related to lambing.
- Ear symptoms were not associated with calving, farrowing, shearing, or dipping.
- Increased hand symptoms were reported in relation to lambing, both indoors and outdoors.
Conclusions:
- Temporally related ear inflammation affects at least 1% of farmers involved in lambing.
- Lambing is also associated with hand inflammation, potentially with different underlying pathology.
- The identified ear inflammation appears specific to the lambing process.
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