Sammendrag
Tick-borne fever (TBF), caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum and transmitted by the tick Ixodes
ricinus, has considerable consequences for animal welfare and economy in the sheep industry. Non-invasive,
objective methods to quantify chronic stress are needed in order to evaluate the welfare impact of disease. The
aim of this study was 1) to evaluate hair cortisol (HC) and hair cortisone (HCn) as biomarkers of chronic stress in
sheep with TBF and 2) to test whether there was an association between the development of TBF and con-
centrations of HC, HCn and faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) and body weight. The experiment took place in an
area with a high prevalence of TBF, and thirty lambs were used in the study. Wool samples were collected in
Week 0, in Week 3 (before turn out on homeland spring pasture), in Week 6 (before turn out on summer
rangeland pasture) and at the end of the summer (Week 15). Faecal samples were collected every week (ie. Week
0–6 and Week 15). Symptoms of TBF developed in 15 lambs, of which all recovered from the disease after
treatment with antibiotics. HC levels decreased progressively, and significantly, between Week 0, 3, 6 and 15
(p
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