DDLS - Animal pathology

DDLS – Animal pathology (formerly Animal Health Laboratories) is a service area under the DAFWA Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DDLS) - an amalgamation of DAFWA plant and animal laboratory and inspection services.

The DDLS – Animal pathology is a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory in the field of veterinary testing. This service provides effective and efficient laboratory capacity, policy input, research and testing for early diagnosis of notifiable diseases and verification for market access importation protocols for the state's livestock industries.

We undertake notifiable disease rule outs and support the investigation of more than 1000 stock disease incidents and 200 animal exports consignments annually. We research significant livestock diseases and improve and develop new tests to support for research on animal production.

Articles

  • There are multiple causes of infertility, abortion and stillbirths in cows. These include some diseases that are exotic to Western Australia and some zoonotic diseases.

  •  ‘One Health’ is an internationally supported approach that recognises that the health and well-being of animals, people and the environment are closely linked and that international, national and

  • This webpage outlines the market impacts of a Johne’s disease (JD) diagnosis, biosecurity practices to reduce the likelihood of JD in sheep occurring on your property, the SheepMAP program, and opt

  • ‘Calf scours’ is when young calves develop diarrhoea and become dehydrated. The scour can be white, yellow, grey or blood-stained, and is often foul-smelling.

  • Pregnancy toxaemia and hypocalcaemia affect lambing ewe flocks and have similar signs but different causes.

  • Ovine campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease of breeding ewes causing abortion in late pregnancy. It is caused by the bacteria Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus.

  • Pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia) is a disease of sheep, goats and cattle.

  • Photosensitisation is inflammation of the skin, and occasionally the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye.

  • Arthritis means inflammation in one or more joints. In sheep, it is usually the result of bacterial infection.

  • Botulism is a rapid onset, usually fatal disease caused by the botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.