Louping Ill – Best practice

Louping Ill is a tick-borne viral disease that affects multiple species, including sheep and red grouse, and occasionally cattle, horses, dogs, and humans. The disease can have a high mortality rate in sheep and red grouse, of up to 50% and 80% respectively, when the virus is first encountered.

Best practice guidelines for Louping Ill Virus (LIV) control in sheep flocks and on grouse moors in the absence of a vaccine.

Help us bring a new Louping Ill vaccine to market

Moredun has developed a next-generation vaccine against Louping Ill virus (LIV) in sheep. The vaccine has been highly effective in research trials, and we are now partnering with Kernfarm to bring it to market, to make it available to UK sheep farmers in high-need areas.

The previous LIV vaccine was withdrawn in 2017 and no alternative is currently available. Given the recent trend of longer tick seasons and the subsequent increasing spread of the disease, this new vaccine has been welcomed by livestock farmers, vets and the moorland industry. Importantly, the new vaccine is simpler to manufacture, ensuring a more reliable supply for farmers.