£1.1M to Help Tackle MV in Sheep

A £1.1 million grant has been given to scientists to address the devastation caused by the chronic infectious illness known as Maedi-visna (MV), which affects sheep.

The goal of the initiative is to create genetic resistance to MV, which might revolutionise sheep farming and improve the health of animals both domestically and globally. With the additional funds, researchers will be able to determine the most effective way to use genetic selection to manage the illness and produce healthier animals.

Scientists from the University of Nottingham and the Moredun Research Institute are involved in the investigation.

David Griffiths, from the Moredun Research Institute and project co-lead commented: “The project has already stimulated a lot of interest as to what can be done with genotyping of sheep.”

He continued: “We are talking to a number of sheep breeders about how to integrate this into their breeding programmes and would be really keen to talk to any interested breed societies about participating.”