Blowfly strike is a painful, potentially fatal condition in sheep that causes severe welfare harm and requires integrated preventive management throughout the summer months.
Blowfly strike causes some of the most severe acute suffering of any common livestock condition. Larvae feeding on living tissue cause intense pain and rapid systemic toxaemia. Affected sheep are found depressed, grinding teeth, and stamping, with a characteristic smell and visible tissue destruction under struck wool. Animals found in late stages require emergency veterinary treatment including wound debridement and systemic antibiotics. Prevention is overwhelmingly more welfare-positive than treatment, as once strike is established welfare compromise is severe.