Bacteraemia or septicaemia was the biggest cause of death in sheep in 2024.

Irish Farmers Journal analysis shows that 20% (181) of all sheep carcases sent to the regional veterinary laboratories (RVLs) had died from either a blood infection or sepsis. Parasitic gastroenteritis, commonly caused by giardia and cryptosporidium, killed 152 sheep which were presented at RVLs in 2024 with the infection peaking between June and November.

Another type of infection that had presentations each month last year was pneumonia which was the cause of death for 102 sheep. Only occurring in the late autumn/winter months, acute fasciolosis, which can be the early stage of liver fluke, resulted in the deaths of 32 sheep.

Meanwhile, enterotoxaemia and tick-borne fever was the cause of death for 32 and 31 sheep respectively.

A total of 27 sheep died of poisoning last year.