North Island-wide facial eczema warning

North Island farmers have been warned to check their stock for signs of facial eczema following a sharp jump in spore numbers from the fungus that causes this disease among livestock.

The disease is caused by spores from the fungus Pithomyces chartarum, which live in pasture and produce a spore containing a toxin that causes liver and bile-duct damage to livestock when eaten.

The high spore counts were the result of high soil temperatures and recent wet weather, AsureQuality facial eczema monitoring co-ordinator Leo Cooney said.

''There is a combination there that is a recipe for disaster.''

The most recent report from Gribbles Veterinary Laboratory on April 17 showed counts were at extremely high levels in many districts.

Most Waikato districts were rated as a high risk.

The district with the highest levels was the Hauraki Plains, which scored a count of 535,000 spores per gram followed by Waitomo, which scored 205,000 per gram.

The highest in the North Island was Horowhenua with 762,000 per gram.

Counts become dangerous to livestock when they measure over 100,000.

Cooney said the worst cases of facial eczema always followed droughts and these areas were the ones affected the most.

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North Island-wide facial eczema warning