Moredun has stepped in to keep the Worm IgA test available to sheep breeders, ensuring uninterrupted access ahead of the NSA Sheep Event at Malvern
Ahead of the NSA Sheep Event at Three Counties Showground, Malvern, on Tuesday 28 July 2026, Moredun Research Institute is confirming that sheep breeders across the UK and the Netherlands will continue to have uninterrupted access to the Worm IgA test, used to support breeding for resistance to roundworms.
Moredun has stepped back in to run the test directly, following the closure of the commercial laboratory that had most recently been delivering the test, so that breeders who rely on the results to inform selection face no gap in provision.
The test measures IgA antibodies, a marker linked to the immunity sheep develop naturally to internal parasites, using a blood serum or saliva sample. It offers breeders a practical route to resistance testing alongside faecal egg counts (FEC), informing ram and ewe selection as part of a wider breeding strategy.
“Breeders have built this test into how they select their flocks, so it mattered to us that there was no interruption to the service. Confirming that continuity ahead of the NSA Sheep Event means breeders can keep using the test with confidence, and we’re looking forward to speaking with breeders and breed societies about it in person at Malvern.”
— Professor Tom McNeilly, Scientific Director of Moredun Research Institute and Chief Executive of the Moredun Foundation
The service is priced at £7.50 per test (excl. VAT) and is delivered in coordination with SIGNET and sheep breed societies in the UK, alongside partners running the testing programme in the Netherlands. Moredun will be at the NSA Sheep Event to talk to breeders and breed societies about the test in person.
The test remains aimed at the same breeders who have used the test results since the test first became available: individual pedigree and commercial sheep breeders, breed societies and breeding organisations, and SIGNET-recording members interested in breeding for parasite resistance. It continues to sit alongside, not replace, existing FEC-based selection, and works best as part of a wider breeding strategy that also uses production traits such as growth rate and maternal ability.
Breeders and breed societies interested in taking part can find full details, including eligibility guidance and how to submit a sample, at https://moredun.org.uk/worm-iga-test
