Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1993, Qupperneq 99

Narthecium ossifragum-associated photo-
sensitization in sheep in the Faroe Islands
103
Arne Fláøyen, Jóhannes Jóhansen and Jústines Olsen
Úrtak
Ljósviðkvæmi, sum veldur álvarsligar sjúkubroytingar í
skinninum á seyði, ið etur kattarklógv, Narthecium
ossifragum, er vanligt í Føroyum. Tað er serliga ein
sjúka hjá lombum, og flestu tilburðimir em seinna partin
í juni, í juli og fyrra partin í august. Nakrir fáir tilburðir
hjá eldri seyði em seinnu helvt í apríl og fyrru helvt í
mai, tá ið N. ossifragum sprettir. Samanlagt vera umleið
20 tilburðir stadfestir um árið, og sjúkan hevur lítlan
týdning fyri føroyska seyðahaldið. Sjúkan er víða um,
men ger mest um seg í ávísum økjum í Eysturoy og
Streymoy.
Abstract
Photosensitization, causing serious skin defects, in
sheep grazing Narthecium ossifragum occurs regularily
in the Faroe Islands. It is a typical disease of lambs and
most cases are seen in late June, July and early August.
A few cases in adult sheep occur in late April and early
May, when the N. ossifragum is sprouting. In total about
20 cases are diagnosed every year and the problem is of
minor importance for the Faroese sheep industry. The
disease is wide spread but is must prevelant in certain
areas on Eysturoy and on Streymoy.
Introduction
Photosensitization in sheep is an important
problem in various parts of the world. Most
photosensitization diseases are associated
with ingestion of plant or fungal toxins. In
The Faroe Islands photosensitization oc-
curs regularly, but the problem seems to be
of minor economical importance (Fig. I.).
In some places in the Faroes the disease is
known as ormasjúka (literally: worm dis-
ease) or lambið harðnar upp í skorti (Eng:
desiccation of the skin of the face of the
lamb).
The disease is also well known to occur
in lambs in westem Norway (Fláøyen,
1993) where the disease is called alveld
(literally: elf-fire). Several thousand cases
are known to occur in Norway every year.
In the northem regions of the British Isles,
the same disease is called plochteach, saut
or yellowses (Ford, 1964).
Aetiology (cause of the disease)
The disease occurs only in sheep grazing
the lily Narthecium ossifragum (Fæ: Kat-
tarklógv; Fig. 2). N. ossifragum is a loosely
to densely clonal, perennial herb, 5-30(-40)
cm tall with a creeping rhizome. The plant
occurs on oligotrophic, mesotrophic and
eutrophic peat deposits in Scandinavia to
Fróðskaparrit 41. bók. 1994(1993): 103-106