A survey of 125 sheep farms using blood samples to measure antibodies against Louping ill virus found that sheep were more likely to be exposed to Louping ill virus in areas that had:
Higher deer density (because, although deer do not transmit the virus, they drive populations of ticks);
Upland/moorland habitats rather than lowland/improved pasture (other animals that transmit Louping ill
virus, such as red grouse and mountain hares, frequent upland habitats);
Warmer climates (higher temperatures increase tick activity and development rates).
Mathematical models predict that risk of Louping ill virus infection increases with climate change. Due to
habitat, hosts and climate, the effect of climate change is predicted to be strongest in crofting and upland areas where sheep farming is often marginally profitable and so more economically vulnerable to the additional costs associated with disease. With no vaccine currently available and dipping sheep no longer compulsory, alternative control strategies will need to be implemented by sheep farmers.